Question

which of the following is a difference between food chains and food webs?

a food chains show energy flow in an ecosystem, and food webs do not.

b food webs separate organisms by trophic level, but food chains do not.

c food chains are linear, while food webs are complex.

d food webs contain both plants and animals, but food chains contain only plants.

Explanation:

• Option a: Both food chains and food webs show energy flow in an ecosystem, so this is incorrect.
• Option b: Both food chains and food webs can show organisms by trophic level, so this is incorrect.
• Option c: A food chain is a linear sequence of organisms where each is eaten by the next (e.g., grass → rabbit → fox), while a food web is a complex network of multiple interconnected food chains, so this correctly describes a difference.
• Option d: Both food chains and food webs typically contain both plants and animals (producers and consumers), so this is incorrect.

Answer:

c. Food chains are linear, while food webs are complex.