Free account: track your progress — Sign up free

WAEC Biology 2011 Theory — Question 10

Question 10 of 27 from the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) Biology 2011 Theory paper, with the correct answer and a full explanation.

Advertisement

3(a)(ii) Use the second law of thermodynamics to explain the flow of energy across different trophic levels in a food chain.

Model answer

The highest amount of energy is found in the producers. When the primary consumers feed on the producers, energy is transferred to the primary consumers. However, according to the second law of thermodynamics, this energy transfer is never 100% efficient, so the primary consumers only acquire a fraction of the initial total energy. This loss of energy continues as we move across the trophic levels.

Advertisement

Sign up free to unlock

  • Score tracking
  • Practice history
  • Saved questions
  • Progress dashboard
  • Personalized sessions
  • Weak-topic breakdown

…and/or go further with premium services and No Ads.