Question

1. if only 10% of the energy from one trophic level passes up to the next level, what happens to the 90% energy that is not passed on?
2. do you think a pyramid is a good shape to represent how matter and energy transfer in an ecosystem? why or why not? yes a pyramid is a good shape.

Explanation:

In an ecosystem, energy transfer follows the 10% rule. The 90% of energy not passed on is used for the organism's metabolic processes (like respiration, movement, growth, and reproduction) and is eventually lost as heat. A pyramid is a good shape to represent matter and energy transfer because it visually shows the decrease in energy (and often biomass) at each successive trophic level. As energy is lost at each level (only 10% is passed up), the base (producers) has the most energy, and each higher level (primary consumers, secondary consumers, etc.) has less, similar to the structure of a pyramid where the base is broad and each upper layer is narrower.

Answer:

For question 4: The 90% of energy is used for metabolic activities of the organism and lost as heat. For question 5: Yes, a pyramid is a good shape because it visually represents the decrease in energy (and often biomass) at each successive trophic level, with the base (producers) having the most and each upper level having less.