The Law of Conservation of Mass States That Matter Cannot

question 12

Multiple Choice

The law of conservation of mass states that matter cannot be created, yet matter is sometimes gained or lost to an ecosystem. What is the reason for this seeming contradiction?

• A) Chemoautotrophic organisms can convert matter to energy.
• B) Ecosystems are open systems; therefore, matter can be moved in/out of an ecosystem from/to another ecosystem.
• C) Photosynthetic organisms convert sugars to more complex organic molecules.
• D) Detritivores convert matter to energy.
• E) Heterotrophs convert heat to energy.

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Definitions:

Near-monopolies

Companies or entities that dominate a market to such an extent that they face little competition, often controlling prices and supply in the market.

Oligopolistic Competition

A market structure in which a few large firms dominate the market, with limited competition between them.

Positive Sum Game

A situation in which all participants can gain or benefit in some way, in contrast to a zero-sum game where one's gain is exactly balanced by another's loss.

Herfindahl Index

A measure used to calculate the size of firms in relation to the industry and an indicator of the amount of competition among them; higher values indicate lesser competition.