more other molecules than a small water molecule can Energy Energy Causes Change The paragraphs directly above describe various bonds as “weak” and “strong,” easily or not so easily formed and broken The idea of bond strength is useful because most cooking is a matter of the systematic breaking of certain chemical bonds and the formation of others The key to the behavior of chemical bonds is energy The word is a Greek compound of “in” and “force” or “activity,” and now has as its standard definition “the capacity for doing work,” or “the exertion of a force across a distance.” Most simply, energy is that property of physical systems that makes possible change A system with little energy is largely unchanging Conversely, the more energy available to an object, the more likely that object is to be changed, or to change its surroundings Our kitchens are organized around this principle Stoves and ovens change the qualities of food by pouring heat energy into it, while the refrigerator preserves food by removing heat and thus slowing down the chemical changes that constitute spoilage Atoms and molecules can absorb or release energy in several different forms, two of which are important in the kitchen The Nature of Heat: Molecular Movement One kind of energy is the energy of motion, or kinetic energy Atoms and molecules can move from one place to another; or spin in place, or vibrate, and all of these changes in position or orientation require energy Heat is a manifestation of a material’s kinetic energy, and temperature is a measure of that energy: ... energy in several different forms, two of which are important in the kitchen The Nature of Heat: Molecular Movement One kind of energy is the energy of motion, or kinetic energy Atoms and molecules can move from one place to another; or spin in... place, or vibrate, and all of these changes in position or orientation require energy Heat is a manifestation of a material’s kinetic energy, and temperature is a measure of that energy: ...more energy available to an object, the more likely that object is to be changed, or to change its surroundings Our kitchens are organized around this principle Stoves and ovens change the qualities of food by pouring