AP®︎ Environmental Science: Topic 1.10 Flashcards

Master key terms and definitions for Topic 1.10 of AP Environmental Science – Energy Flow and the 10% Rule to help you prep for quizzes and the AP exam.

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Term

Energy Flow Through Ecosystems

Definition

One-way transfer and transformation of energy through trophic levels, eventually releasing heat and requiring continuous external energy input

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Energy Flow Through Ecosystems
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One-way transfer and transformation of energy through trophic levels, eventually releasing heat and requiring continuous external energy input

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10% Rule
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About 10% of one trophic level’s energy passes to the next; after n transfers, Eₙ = E₀(0.10)ⁿ, where n counts transfers

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Energy Pyramid
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A diagram showing energy available at successive trophic levels, with an upright shape because each higher level contains less energy

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Trophic Transfer Efficiency
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The percentage of lower-level energy transferred upward: E_higher ÷ E_lower × 100

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First Law of Thermodynamics (Law of Conservation of Energy)
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Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred or transformed; energy lost from a trophic pathway is unavailable, not destroyed

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Second Law of Thermodynamics
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Every energy transfer increases entropy and reduces energy available for useful work, with some energy becoming dispersed as heat

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