The diagram below shows a food chain.
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How does this food chain illustrate the law of conservation of energy?
a
It shows how energy stored in food moves from one organism to another.
b
It shows how sunlight is converted into the matter making up organisms.
c
It shows that the energy used by plants for photosynthesis disappears.
d
It shows that energy is destroyed by the last animal in the chain.
a. It shows how energy stored in food moves from one organism to another.
The food chain illustrates the law of conservation of energy because it shows how energy is transferred from one organism to another, rather than being created or destroyed. In a food chain, energy from the sun is converted into chemical energy through photosynthesis by plants. This energy is then consumed by herbivores, which are in turn consumed by carnivores. At each step of the food chain, some energy is lost as heat, but the overall energy is conserved and transferred from one organism to another. This demonstrates the principle that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred from one form to another.