Sugar crystals do not dissolve easily in ice cold water. Explain.

Explanation

**Step-by-Step Text Solution:**

1. **Understanding Water Potential**: Water potential is a measure of the potential energy in water, which influences the movement of water. At room temperature, pure water has a high water potential due to its high free energy.

2. **Effect of Temperature on Water**: When the temperature of water decreases, such as in ice-cold water, the kinetic energy of the water molecules also decreases. This leads to a reduction in the free energy of the water.

3. **Dissolving Process**: For a solute like sugar to dissolve, the water molecules must interact with the sugar molecules effectively. This interaction requires sufficient energy to break the bonds between the sugar molecules and allow them to disperse in the water.

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