1. Which of the following is an example of energy transfer from the sun to a producer and then to a consumer?
a. sun warms rocks; squirrels climb over rocks; squirrels are eaten by other animals
b. sunlight helps plants to grow and deer eat plants
c. sun heats pond water; fish swim in water; bears eat fish
d. none of the above
I think it's b but can you check?
I agree with b. In a and c, the energy contributed by the sun is not directly converted to chemical energy of the eaten animals.
Yes, you are correct. The correct answer is b. In this example, sunlight energy is transferred from the sun to a producer (plants) through photosynthesis. Then, the energy is transferred from the producer to a consumer (deer) when the deer eat the plants. This represents a clear example of energy transfer from the sun to a producer and then to a consumer.
To check which option is the correct example of energy transfer from the sun to a producer and then to a consumer, we need to understand the steps involved in this process.
Energy from the sun is initially captured by producers, which are organisms capable of photosynthesis, such as plants. These producers convert sunlight into chemical energy through the process of photosynthesis. This energy is then transferred to consumers, which are organisms that feed on the producers or other consumers.
Let's evaluate each option based on this information:
a. Sun warms rocks; squirrels climb over rocks; squirrels are eaten by other animals.
This option does involve the sun but does not include a producer. Rocks are not capable of capturing and converting sunlight into energy, so this is not an example of energy transfer from the sun to a producer and then to a consumer.
b. Sunlight helps plants to grow, and deer eat plants.
In this option, sunlight acts as the energy source for the plants, which are the producers. The plants convert sunlight into chemical energy through photosynthesis. Deer then consume these plants, acquiring the energy from the producers. Therefore, option b is the correct example of energy transfer from the sun to a producer and then to a consumer.
c. Sun heats pond water; fish swim in water; bears eat fish.
While the sun does affect the temperature of the pond water, it does not involve the transfer of energy from a producer to a consumer. The fish are not in direct contact with the sun for energy acquisition, and the bears consume the fish directly rather than relying on energy transferred from producers. Hence, option c is not an example of energy transfer from the sun to a producer and then to a consumer.
d. None of the above.
As explained above, option b is the correct answer.
Therefore, option b (sunlight helps plants to grow, and deer eat plants) is the correct example of energy transfer from the sun to a producer and then to a consumer.