Team 2 Ethanol fuel.flv

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/teachers/activities/3507_car_video.html
Team 2: Ethanol fuel
Q. Why do critics claim it takes more energy to make ethanol than the amount of energy you get out of it?
A. While ethanol is a cleaner fuel to burn than gasoline, critics claim that fossil fuels are used not only to produce the fertilizer and pesticides used in cultivating the corn, but also to ferment the corn sugar needed to make the ethanol.
Q. What is cellulosic biomass, and why is it important in the quest to use ethanol as an alternative fuel?
A. Cellulosic biomass is the woody structure that supports plants. It is important because it could someday be harvested and manufactured without any burning of fossil fuel.
Q. How are bacteria involved in the production of ethanol?
A. One species of bacteria tears the cellulose apart to release the sugar; another turns the sugar into ethanol.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Ethanol
• fuel
• vehicles