Question

The main energy source for the environment is
(a)Solar Energy
(b)Chemical energy
(c)Bioelectric energy
(d)Electric energy

Answer 1

Hint: The main energy source of the environment is the most available and cleanest renewable energy source. Energy from this source can be used in a variety of uses like generating electricity, providing light, or a comfortable interior environment.

Complete Answer:
1) Energy flow is a sequential process of the movement of energy in an ecosystem through a series of organisms.
2) Energy does not remain permanently trapped in any organism. It is either passed on to the higher trophic level or becomes available to decomposer or detritivores after the organism dies.
3) The energy flow in an ecosystem is always unidirectional or one way. Thus, the energy that passes from autotrophic plants to herbivores does not pass back to autotrophs.
4) Solar energy (sun) is the only source of energy for all ecosystems on earth except for the deep-sea hydrothermal ecosystem.
5) Solar energy is radiant light and heat from the Sun that is harnessed using a range of technologies such as solar heating, photovoltaics, solar thermal energy, and artificial photosynthesis.
6) Solar energy is an abundant energy resource for the earth. It is a type of clean energy. It is the cheapest and the fastest source of energy. The photovoltaics harnesses solar energy and is used to generate electricity.

Additional Information:
- Solar energy can not only be converted into thermal energy but also can be transformed into electrical energy.
- Solar energy is a renewable energy source.
- The energy flow in an ecosystem is based on two basic laws of thermodynamics.
- Bioelectricity refers to electrical potentials and currents produced by living organisms within their body. It results from the conversion of energy into electricity.
- Electrical energy is derived from the electric potential energy. Once converted from potential energy, electrical energy can always be used as another type of energy (heat, light, motion, etc.).
- Chemical energy is stored in the bonds of chemical compounds, like atoms and molecules. Chemical energy is released when a chemical reaction occurs between molecules or atoms.

So, the answer is, ‘Solar Energy’.

Note: Energy transfer is unidirectional. An Ecosystem always follows the 10% law of energy transfer i.e. at each transfer only 10% energy is available to the next trophic level. There is a residual energy decrease seen drastically within two-three trophic levels. AS a result, an ecosystem can support only a limited number of trophic levels.