Does melting sugar cause the breaking of intramolecular bonds? Explain

Yes, melting sugar causes the breaking of intramolecular bonds

Explanation:

Sugar is the common name for sucrose, C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁ consists of one fructose and one glucose molecule combined together.

When heated, sucrose undergoes "apparent melting" or "inversion". That is during melting, the glucose and fructose in sugar decompose and caramelize in two phases.

Phase one consists of the structural whereby the sugar changes from solid crystal into more liquid form by breaking structural bonds

On further heating, phase two, consists of the removal of water molecules from the sugar. Therefore more intramolecular bonds are broken to release the water molecules.

Intramolecular bonds are broken when sugar melts

Explanation:

Simply put, intramolecular bonds are those chemical bonds that hold the atoms of a molecule or compound together. These can be covalent, ionic or metallic bonds.

Melting of sugar is a chemical reaction, sugar (sucrose) undergoes inversion to yield its component monosaccharides, glucose and fructose as the temperature increases. In the second stage, water molecule is eliminated as temperature increases further. This produces a reaction called "beta-elimination" which leads to the formation of hydroxymethylfurfural.

Hence, intramolecular forces in sugar are broken when it is melted.