Energy Forms and Transformations

• Energy enables work and exists in forms like chemical, kinetic, nuclear, and light energy.
• Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only converted.
• Humans convert energy rather than create it. For example, fossil fuels' chemical energy becomes electrical energy.
• Burning fossil fuels heats water to create steam and then mechanical energy.
• The mechanical energy rotates a turbine creating electrical energy through electromagnetic induction.
• Fossil fuels' chemical energy powers vehicles via mechanical energy.
• All living things need energy to function and survive.
• The Sun is the ultimate source of energy in ecosystems.
• Photosynthetic producers convert sunlight into chemical energy for cells.
• Animals gain chemical energy through consumption of plants.
• The Sun powers all food webs in an ecosystem.

Energy from the Sun

• The Sun provides large amounts of energy to Earth.
• The Sun produces energy through nuclear fusion of hydrogen atoms releasing light and heat.
• The Sun's energy powers processes on Earth.

Energy in Ecosystems

• Photosynthetic producers capture sunlight and transform it into chemical energy via photosynthesis.
• Photosynthesis uses an electron transport chain in chloroplasts to create NADPH and ATP.
• Producers convert carbon dioxide into sugars, ultimately glucose.
• Glucose creates structures or ATP through cellular respiration.
• Consumers get energy from the Sun by consuming producers.

Energy Transfer in Ecosystems

• Consumers eat to gain energy, indirectly from the Sun via producers.
• Plants store chemical energy as glucose after photosynthesis.
• Primary consumers eat producers, receiving 10% of the producer's energy from the Sun.
• Secondary consumers are carnivores eating primary consumers, receiving 10% of the primary consumer's energy.
• This continues up the food web with tertiary and quaternary consumers.
• The ten percent rule dictates each level passes only 10% of its energy to the next level.
• Energy pyramids graphically depict energy transfer, with producers at the base having 100% of the available energy and subsequent consumer levels decreasing in size.

Sunlight and Its Benefits

• Producers create food for ecosystems, including humans using light energy.
• Sunlight provides heat, creating habitable temperatures.
• Sunlight enables the body to produce vitamin D for strong bones.
• Sunlight increases serotonin production in the brain, regulating mood, emotions, learning, and memory.
• Decreased sunlight in winter may lower serotonin levels, potentially causing seasonal depression.

Explore different forms of energy, including chemical and kinetic. Understand the principle of energy conservation and how humans convert energy from fossil fuels into electrical and mechanical forms. Learn about the Sun's role as the primary energy source in ecosystems.