Question

Assuming that the sun transmits 6,000,000 kcal of energy to an area, calculate the amount of energy passed to the next trophic level. Draw a pyramid and label each trophic level with the kcal of energy that will be available to it.

Answer 1

The source of energy for Earth is our sun. Sir Issac Newton thought of light as a steady stream of particles. His contemporary, Christian Huygens, thought that light had a wave motion. They were both correct. Light energy consists of moving quanta of photons. In 1802 the English physicist Thomas Young confirmed hypothesis by proving that light traveled in waves. Photosynthesis is the major process by which wavelengths are converted from light energy into a form of chemical energy which can be used by living organisms. This conversion process will be studied later in the semester. The energy from the sun is stored in the bonds that hold molecules together. One major storage source of this energy is the glucose which can be produced as a by-product of photosynthesis. When glucose is broken apart in the process of cellular respiration, it can be made available for use by organisms in all metabolic activities. The level would be about 5,000. This is much better than having it in the comments. Hope this helps you. :)