Ecology & populations · SL/HL
Energy transfer efficiency
Express transferred energy as a fraction of input energy.
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Number formats & units
Use decimal dots in datasets. Single values also accept decimal commas and scientific notation such as 1.2e-3 or 1.2 × 10⁻³.
Calculated locally. No account or input upload.
Result & working
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Interpretation & assumptions
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Formula & example
The relationship
What the variables mean
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| input | Energy available before transfer. |
| output | Energy retained or transferred to the next stage. |
Worked example
- Input energy
- 10000
- Transferred energy
- 1200
- Energy unit
- kJ
12%
Follow the example steps
- efficiency = output/input × 100 = 1200/10000 × 100 = 12%
Common mistakes
Use the same energy units and basis.
Incorrect approach
1 kJ, 100 J: efficiency = 100 × 100/1
Correct approach
1000 J, 100 J: efficiency = 100 × 100/1000 = 10%
More checks before you submit
- Input and output must use the same energy unit and basis.
Method notes
State clearly what system boundary and time interval the energy values represent.