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The food chain shows the energy transferred between organisms - Edexcel - GCSE Biology - Question 5 - 2015 - Paper 1
Question 5
The food chain shows the energy transferred between organisms. The oak tree is the producer in the food chain. Complete the sentence by putting a cross (X) in the ... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:The food chain shows the energy transferred between organisms - Edexcel - GCSE Biology - Question 5 - 2015 - Paper 1
Step 1
Step 2
Calculate the percentage loss of energy between the oak tree and the caterpillars.
Answer
To calculate the percentage loss of energy, we use the formula:
ext{Percentage loss} = rac{ ext{Energy lost}}{ ext{Initial energy}} imes 100
The initial energy from the oak tree is 7760 kJ, and the energy passed to the caterpillars is 620 kJ. Therefore, the energy lost is:
Now we can calculate the percentage loss:
ext{Percentage loss} = rac{7140 ext{ kJ}}{7760 ext{ kJ}} imes 100 \\ ext{Percentage loss} \\ ext{= } 91.87 ext{%}
Step 3
Suggest how energy is lost between trophic levels in this food chain.
Answer
Energy is lost between trophic levels due to several factors:
- Metabolic processes: Organisms lose energy as heat during metabolic activities such as respiration.
- Waste: Not all parts of the prey are consumed; some are excreted as waste.
- Inefficiency in energy transfer: Only a portion of the energy obtained by one trophic level is passed on to the next level due to inefficiencies.