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Burn a Nut
What is the energy in plants?
How do we find it? How do we use it?
Minimum
Completion Time Where do we get energy? The same energy
45 minutes that you get from food can be used for fuel.
Skill Level
Intermediate
What is a biofuel? Biofuels are made from
Ages 11-13 renewable materials like plants rather than
Learner Outcomes non-renewable sources like crude oil and
Explores how agricultural
crops can be used to coal. How much energy can you get
create fuel, Investigates
ethanol-based fuels from a plant—a nut? a soybean?
based on their biological
properties.
Try this experiment.
Science Skills Note: Always wear eye protection and consult an adult when Learn More
• Measure working with an open flame. Find a responsible adult that
• Observe
• Interpret/analyze/
you trust to do this activity with you. Be sure to protect your • Bio Architecture Lab
reason clothing and hands and set up your experiment in an open • Biotechnology and You
Life Skills
area. • Biodiesel Basics
• Reason
• Acquire and Evaluate 1. Gather these materials: 1 nut (pecan,
Information
almond, or brazil nut), 1-2 soybeans, Virtual Fun
Educational 2 large paperclips, stopwatch, empty Figure 1
Standards
• Properties and changes
aluminum can, small glass dish, • Tour an ethanol plant
of properties in matter masking tape, thermometer, ring Figure 1 • Willie Nelson on biodiesel
• Transfer of energy stand, food or balance scale, safety • Burning a brazil nut on
• Populations, resources, glasses, grill lighter, copy of Burn a Nut YouTube
and environment
Observation Log, glass fuel burner and • Cooking with an almond
Success Indicator lamp oil.
Follows the Scientific
Method in an experiment 2. Arrange a nut on the unfolded
to release energy from paperclip. Tape to bottom of the dish
nuts and beans
(see figure 1). Measure the mass of News & Careers
the fuel, (nut or soybean), fuel holder
(paperclip) and glass dish. Add this
• Tracking Renewable Fuel
(article and video)
data to the Observation Log. • BP biofuels
3. Pour 50 ml of water into the aluminum • Fuel and feed from
can. Record the temperature. Suspend microalgae
Acknowledgements:
from the ring clamp using an unfolded • Importance of enzymes
Robert L. Horton, PhD, Ohio paper clip (see figure 2).
State University Extension, Carol
Warkentien and Jeanne Gogolski, 4. Ignite the nut or bean by holding a
EP&P LLC
flame on it until it begins to burn on
Content adapted from DuPont
(www2.dupont.com) and Pioneer
its own. Start the stopwatch when you
(www.pioneer.com) web pages.
Adapted with permission from the
apply the flame. Figure 2
Ohio Soybean Council.
Figure 2
Which was the better fuel: the nut, the soybean or the lamp oil? Records—Intermediate Level
From Biomass to Biofuel: Burn a Nut
Reflect • • •
Which contained the most “stored energy:” the nut, the soybean or the lamp oil?
Generalize • • •
How could the expanded use of biofuels affect the future? What other crops should be considered as possible fuel
sources?
Apply • • •
Would you recommend the use of nuts, soybeans or other crops for food, fuel or both? How is it possible to use the same
plant or biomass for both food and fuel?
Glossary
biodiesel—diesel fuel made from renewable resources fermentation process—biological processing in which
biofuels—fuels developed from biomass or agricultural sugars are converted into cellular energy, producing
crops ethanol and carbon dioxide as a waste product; ethanol
fermentation is the same process that occurs in the rising
biomass—organic material made from plants and animals of bread dough
that contains stored energy from the sun
transesterification—process used in the production of
ethanol—an alternative fuel to gasoline made from a grain biodiesel that involves reacting the vegetable oil with
such as corn or sugarcane methanol or ethanol
feedstock—raw material required for an industrial process;
biofuels start with feedstocks
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Time (min.) 0
Time (min.) 0
Nut
Soybean
Lamp oil