Is Alcohol or Sugar More soluble in water?

Question

if so, why?

Answer 1

You're really talking apples and oranges.  

We say that liquids are miscible in other liquids.  When you say alcohol, I'm guessing you mean ethanol.  Ethanol is infinitely miscible in water.  That means that there is no limit to the amount of alcohol that can be mixed with a quantity of water.  You can just keep on adding ethanol and pretty soon you will have a lot of ethanol with a little bit of water mixed in.

On the other hand, there is a limit to the amount of sugar that can be dissolved in water.  There is a limit to the number of "holes" in liquid water which can be occupied by a sugar molecule.  When that limit is reached, then no more sugar will dissolve.

The bottom line is that the term "soluble" really doesn't apply to the alcohol and water mixture, but if pressed on the issue, we would have to say that alcohol is infinitely "soluble" in water.

Answer 2

Alcohol is not soluble in water.

Sugar is.

Answer 3

sugar but I am not sure ahy , I know this because I use to bar tend

Answer 4

Since alcohol is a liquid it will dilute in water, not dissolve.  So sugar is more soluble by default.

Answer 5

Alcohol (ethanol) is completely miscible with water, meaning that any concentration of the two will mix.

Sugar is very soluble in water, but the maximum concentration is ca. 75%, or about 300g per 100ml.

Consequently, alcohol is more soluble in water.

EDIT - Pisgahchemist, I must respectfully disagree w/ your statement "The term "soluble" really doesn't apply to the alcohol and water".  In fact, the definitions of solvent and solute are general enough to include any medium in any of the three phases of matter.  Steel is a solid solution of iron and carbon.  Hydrochloric acid is a solution of a gas and liquid.  Air is a solution of gases, and humid air is a solution of gas and liquid.  All are not "typical" solutions, yet all fit the definition.

I do agree that typically one thinks of solvents as liquids, and solutes as solids, but technically all of the above examples are correct.

BTW, congrats on getting an answer posted on the "best of" page!!.