Biomass, Biogas and Biofuel

Define Ethanol

A colorless flammable liquid which is produced naturally by fermentation.

Define Digester

A container, in which substances are treated in order to promote decomposition.

Define Biofuels

A fuel (typically a liquid) derived directly from living matter.

Define Biogas

A mixture of different gases produced by the breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen.

Define Landfill

A place to dispose of waste material by burying it and covering it over with soil.

Define Methane

Acolorless, odorless flammable gas that is the main constituent of natural gas.

Define Organic

Anything derived from living or formerly living matter.

Define Biomass

Energy source that comes from living or recently living plant or animal material, which can be used for fuel.

True or False: Biogas digesters need oxygen in order to produce methane.

False

True or False: Biomass comes from things that have been dead for millions of years.

False

True or False: Biomass is not organic.

False

True or False: Ethanol is mostly used for cooking in developing countries.

False

True or False: One disadvantage for using biomass is that it can contain sulfur and nitrogen which contribute to forming acid rain.

False

Define Anaerobic

In the absence of oxygen

True or False: Methane is produced when garbage rots.

True

True or False: One concern with the use of corn ethanol is that the land required to grow the corn might compete with land needed to grow food.

True

True or False: Using landfill gas to generate electricity is a good idea because methane is a greenhouse gas that would otherwise enter the atmosphere.

True

True or False: When you buy gasoline in the US there could be ethanol mixed in with it.

True

True or False: Wood, when burned to heat your home, is a type of biomass energy.

True

Define Fermentation

the chemical breakdown of a substance in the absence of oxygen and the giving off of heat.