Question

what is the key difference?
electrons are shared equally between atoms in the products but not in the food
there are more electrons in each covalent bond in food compared to the products.
electrons are held more tightly by nuclei in the products of processing than they are in the food.
recall what you learned about polar and nonpolar bonds. why does oxygen (o) hold electrons so tightly in c - o and o - h bonds?
it has very high bond polarity.
oxygen is a larger atom than carbon (c) or hydrogen (h).
it has extremely high electronegativity.
compared to the electrons in nonpolar c - c and c - h bonds, do the electrons in c - o bonds have higher or lower potential energy?
higher
lower
neither - potential energy is potential only and doesnt change

Explanation:

• First question: In chemical reactions, when products are formed (e.g., in food processing where new chemical species can be created), if electrons are held more tightly by nuclei (due to factors like electronegativity differences in bonds), it is a key difference. In non - polar bonds (which might be more common in some food molecules initially), electrons are shared more evenly, but in processed products with more polar bonds (e.g., C - O, O - H), electrons are more tightly held by more electronegative atoms (like O).
• Second question: Electronegativity is the measure of an atom's ability to attract electrons in a chemical bond. Oxygen has a very high electronegativity (3.44 on the Pauling scale, compared to C: 2.55 and H: 2.20). This high electronegativity means it has a strong pull on electrons in C - O and O - H bonds. Bond polarity is a result of electronegativity differences (not the cause of oxygen holding electrons tightly). And oxygen is not larger than carbon in a way that explains electron - holding (atomic size has a more complex relationship with electron - holding in bonds compared to electronegativity).
• Third question: Electrons in bonds where they are more tightly held (like in C - O, due to oxygen's high electronegativity) have lower potential energy. In non - polar C - C and C - H bonds, electrons are less tightly held (since the electronegativity differences are smaller or zero). The more tightly an electron is held by nuclei (in a more polar bond like C - O), the lower its potential energy.

Answer:

• First question: Electrons are held more tightly by nuclei in the products of processing than they are in the food.
• Second question: It has extremely high electronegativity.
• Third question: Lower.