What percentage of energy is typically passed along to the next organism in a food chain?

In a food chain, it is widely understood that only a fraction of the energy from one trophic level is transferred to the next. This concept is known as the 10% rule, which states that approximately 10% of the energy consumed by one level of the food chain is converted into biomass that can be used by the next level. The majority of the energy, around 90%, is lost primarily due to metabolic processes such as respiration, movement, and heat production, as well as through waste.

This 10% transfer efficiency reflects the limitations of energy conversion in ecosystems, highlighting the inefficiencies present in energy transfer. Thus, the option indicating that 10% of energy is typically passed along to the next organism is accurate and aligns with ecological principles regarding energy flow in food webs.