Question

If a secondary consumer receives 50 units of energy from a primary consumer, how much energy did the primary consumer receive from the producers? Assume a 10% energy transfer at each level.

A food chain. Grasses are on the left. To the right of the grasses is an arrow pointing to a beetle. To the right of the beetle is an arrow pointing to a small bird. To the right of the small bird is an arrow pointing to a falcon.

(1 point)
Responses

500 units of energy
500 units of energy

5 units of energy
5 units of energy

450 units of energy
450 units of energy

50 units of energy
50 units of energy
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Answer 1

In a food chain, energy is transferred between levels with only about 10% of the energy being passed on to the next trophic level. If a secondary consumer (small bird) receives 50 units of energy from a primary consumer (beetle), we can determine how much energy the primary consumer received from the producers (grasses).

1. The primary consumer (beetle) receives 10 times the energy that the secondary consumer (small bird) receives, since only 10% of the energy is transferred.

Energy received by primary consumer = Energy received by secondary consumer / 0.10

So,
Energy received by primary consumer = 50 units / 0.10 = 500 units.

Therefore, the primary consumer received 500 units of energy from the producers.

The correct response is:
**500 units of energy**.