Why is the amount of available energy different for each type of organisms on a food chain?

The amount of available energy differs among organisms in a food chain due to the inefficiencies of energy transfer between trophic levels. Typically, only about 10% of the energy from one level is passed on to the next, as much is lost through metabolic processes, heat, and waste. Consequently, primary producers (like plants) have the most energy, while higher-level consumers (like predators) receive significantly less. This results in fewer organisms and less biomass at each successive trophic level.