Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first video
Multiple Choice
In the context of organic chemistry, what is the typical percentage of energy transferred from one trophic level to the next in an ecosystem?
A
75%
B
25%
C
10%
D
50%
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand that the question is about energy transfer in an ecosystem, which is a concept from ecology rather than organic chemistry. However, it is important to know that energy transfer is a fundamental concept in understanding biological systems.
In an ecosystem, energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next. Trophic levels are the hierarchical levels in an ecosystem, comprising producers at the base and various levels of consumers above.
Typically, only a small percentage of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next. This is because energy is lost at each level due to metabolic processes, heat loss, and other factors.
The generally accepted percentage of energy transfer from one trophic level to the next is approximately 10%. This is known as the '10% rule' in ecology.
This means that if a trophic level receives 100 units of energy, only about 10 units are available to the next level, with the rest being lost as heat or used in metabolic processes.