Question

According to the law of conservation of matter, in any food chain we know that Responses A the quantity of matter in producers and consumers is always equal.the quantity of matter in producers and consumers is always equal. B matter is created at the start of a food web and destroyed in the end.matter is created at the start of a food web and destroyed in the end. C matter is changed into various forms but the total quantity remains unchanged.matter is changed into various forms but the total quantity remains unchanged. D the amount of matter increases as the food web progresses from the producers to the consumers.

Answer 1

The law of conservation of matter dictates that in a food chain, matter is transformed but the total quantity remains unchanged, which is option C. Decomposers recycle matter, ensuring its conservation within the ecosystem.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to the law of conservation of matter, in any food chain, the correct response is C: matter is changed into various forms but the total quantity remains unchanged. Matter is neither created at the beginning nor destroyed at the end of a food web; rather, it is transformed into different compounds and moves between organisms. When it comes to energy, it flows in from an external source (typically the sun) and is dispersed in the form of heat at each trophic level. Decomposers play a critical role by digesting matter from all levels of the food chain, ensuring the recycling of matter back into the ecosystem.

The concept of matter conservation is applicable to all conversions of matter. For instance, during the process of cellular respiration, carbon from carbohydrates can be transformed into carbon dioxide, but the total amount of matter, the number of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms, remains the same. This principle is an integral part of understanding ecosystems and their functioning.