Final answer:
Meringues made with sugar overwhip and break down faster can depend on the type of sugar used and the method of incorporation, but sugar generally stabilizes meringue. Humid conditions can also affect stability.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question about whether meringues made with sugar overwhip and break down faster is addressed by understanding the chemistry of how sugar interacts with egg whites. It is widely recognized that sugar stabilizes meringue. When sugar is beaten into egg whites, it dissolves in the water present in the whites and helps to stabilize the foam structure. If not enough sugar is used, or if it is added too quickly, the meringue can indeed overwhip and break down faster. However, this breakdown is not simply because sugar is present, but rather due to the ratio and method of incorporating the sugar into the whites. Furthermore, hot or humid conditions can affect the stability of meringues as well. Therefore, the correct answer would be (c) Depends on the type of sugar and to some extent (d) Only in humid conditions.