Question

The “Energy Density Challenge” has visitors comparing equal amounts of table sugar with butter. Based on their chemical compositions, which food would provide more energy per gram when your body breaks it down?
Question 6 options:

Neither food provides any energy since they both lack nitrogen atoms completely

Butter provides much more energy per gram because carbon-hydrogen bonds store more energy

Both foods provide exactly the same amount of energy since they both contain carbon

Sugar provides much more energy per gram because it contains oxygen atoms

Answer 1

Answer: Butter provides much more energy per gram because carbon–hydrogen bonds store more energy.

Explanation: Butter is mostly fat (triglycerides) and is chemically more reduced (lots of C–H bonds, few oxygens) than sugar (a carbohydrate with many C–O and O–H bonds). Oxidizing reduced C–H bonds yields more usable energy, so fats ≈9 kcal/g vs carbohydrates ≈4 kcal/g.