Energy Pyramids

True or False. In this energy pyramid, the consumers on each level only get about 10 percent of energy that the trophic level before it has stored.

• True
• False

A pyramid shape is used to show the amount of available energy at each trophic level because... 

• energy decreases as you go up the food chain, just like the pyramid shape gets smaller as you go up. 
• energy increases up the food chain just like the pyramid shape gets smaller as you go up. 
• energy amounts are the same at each trophic level

If only 10% of an organism's energy is available for the next trophic level, what happens with the other 90% of the energy?

• It is destroyed after it is used up.
• It is used for life processes or lost as body heat.
• It remains for the next trophic level IF the predator consumes ALL of the organism.
• It is lost completely as body heat. 

In this energy pyramid, what is the proper name for ANY ORGANISM ABOVE THE PRODUCER LEVEL?

• decomposers
• consumers
• producers
• omnivores

About how much percent of energy is passed on from one organism to to the next on an energy pyramid?

• 100 percent of all energy gets passed
• 45 percent of all energy gets passed
• 10 percent of all energy gets passed
• 0 percent of all energy gets passed

What makes an energy pyramid different than a food web or chain?

• It shows energy flowing from the top of the chain and downward. 
• The tropic levels are the opposite
• It shows the amount of energy in each trophic level
• It shows specific predator/prey relationships

Why are producers found at the base of the pyramid?

• They create all of the energy and therefore have the most energy of all of the trophic levels
• There are more plants than animals. 
• They begin the flow of energy in an ecosystem.
• All of these answers are correct. 

True or False: Organisms will always stay in the same trophic level. 

• True-- an organism's trophic level is permanent based on the species it is. 
• False-- the trophic level an organism belongs to is based on what it is consuming in the food chain. 

What is the sun's role in the energy pyramid?

• to produce chemical energy for the ecosystem.
• to provide radiant energy for producers to convert to chemical energy. 
• to start the energy flow of the ecosystem. 
• to provide mechanical energy for producers to convert to chemical energy. 

What form of energy is in the food organisms consume?

• chemical energy
• thermal energy
• mechanical energy
• radiant energy