Benedict's test for sugars. Benedict's reagent (left, light blue) is a solution of copper (II) sulphate (CuSO4), tartaric acid and sodium hydroxide. I

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Benedict's test for sugars. Benedict's reagent (left, light blue) is a solution of copper (II) sulphate (CuSO4), tartaric acid and sodium hydroxide. It is used to detect sugars (in this case glucose), giving the orange colour at right. This is a precipitate that forms in the presence of some sugars as the copper sulphate is reduced to insoluble orange copper (I) oxide. Not all sugars give the positive result: sucrose, for instance, does not.

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Keywords: acid, hydroxide, sodium, sulphate, tartaric