Nebraska Science Standards:
SC12.3.3: Students will describe, on a molecular level, the cycling of matter and the flow of energy between organisms and their environment.
Objectives:
- The student will understand and demonstrate energy acquisition through soybean plants and compare it with traditional energy sources.
- The student will identify how energy from soybean and other plants can be used for alternative fuel and other uses.
- The student will understand how agriculture is at the forefront of alternative fuel production.
Materials:
Lab equipment & supplies, aluminum foil, observation log (1 per student or team)
Plants as Fuel
Plants can be used for more than food! In the same way that we get energy from the food that we eat, the plant energy can also be used for other things – like alternative fuels. Soybeans are a cornerstone of the biodiesel production in the United States, and the energy derived from the small bean is powering trucks, buses, and even homes!