Bell Ringer

Instructions: Answer the prompt provided by your teacher.










Vocabulary

Instructions: Watch the Science of Bioenergy video and listen for the vocabulary words

WordDefinitionExample
Biofuelsnoun; fuels made from recently living plant or animal materials“We’ve been making [biofuels] for more than a century, but they’re still not quite there yet.”
Fermentedverb; broken down by microbes, like bacteria or yeast, often to produce fuel or food“Biofuels are basically sugar, fermented into alcohol . . .”
Dieselnoun; a type of fuel made from crude oil or plant materials and used in some engines“ . . . and on a much smaller scale, plant oil or even algae turned into diesel.”
Ethanolnoun; a type of alcohol used as fuel, often made from corn or sugarcane“Brazil has been the most successful with biofuels, making ethanol that’s cheaper than gasoline . . .”
Cellulosenoun; the tough part of plant cell walls that gives them structure“But there’s a new biofuel process that breaks down the cellulose of the plant.”
Perennialadjective; describes a plant that lives and grows for more than two years.“The most promising have been perennial grasses that can be planted once; then harvested for many years.”
Cellulosic fuelnoun phrase; fuel made from the tough, fibrous parts of plants like stems and leaves“But so far cellulosic fuel is experimental.”
Pilot plantsnoun phrase; small-scale facilities that test how to make new products before full production“It’s been hard to scale up into pilot plants like this one . . .”
Commercialadjective; related to buying, selling, or making something for profit“. . . and there are no commercial plants anywhere in the world.”
Acreagenoun; the amount of land measured in acres“The sheer acreage required to fuel global transportation will be the limiting factor.”
Supplementnoun; something added to improve or complete a supply, process, or product“[Biofuels] are a regional supplement that may play an expanding role depending on technology cost and ultimately land use.”

Note: Biomass = the raw material (input); Bioenergy = the result (output); Biofuels = the fuels (subset of output)

Quiz

Instructions: Circle the correct answer based on what you learned in the Science of Bioenergy video.

Q1. What is the main source of biofuel feedstock used today?

  1. algae
  2. food and agricultural crops
  3. recycled waste materials
  4. lumber and wood products

Q2. Which country has successfully produced biofuels that are cheaper than gasoline?

  1. Sweden
  2. Costa Rica
  3. The United States
  4. Brazil

Q3. What new technology could help make biofuels less expensive in the future?

  1. turning biodiesel into sugars that can be fermented
  2. breaking down plant cellulose into sugars that can be fermented
  3. growing food crops without fertilizers or pesticides
  4. converting ethanol directly into gasoline

Q4. If the cost of producing biofuels decreases, what would be the main factor limiting their ability to replace oil for global transportation?

  1. the cost of fertilizers, pesticides and fuel needed for growing crops
  2. the competition between using crops for food versus fuel
  3. the amount of land required to grow enough biomass
  4. all of the above