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Fermentation in a Bag

Provided by: Wisconsin Energy Institute |Published on: October 11, 2023

Lesson Plans

678

Synopsis

In this experiment, students will create ethanol through fermentation using a few common ingredients.
Students will use warm water, dry active yeast, and feedstock to create ethanol and CO₂ in a bag and measure the production of gas and ethanol using various tools.
Students can also compare which feedstocks produce more CO₂or ethanol.

Subjects: Chemistry, Biology

Authors: Wisconsin Energy Institute

Region: North America, USA - Midwest, United States, Global, Wisconsin

Languages: English

Positives

A video and written instructions make it easy for teachers and students to understand the experiment.
This resource contains a video on measuring fermentation rates without an ethanol probe, allowing many classrooms to perform the activity with few resources.

Additional Prerequisites

This experiment can be extended into a complete lesson on biofuels using the resources at the bottom of the page.
Students should know what ethanol is and its uses.
It may benefit students to first learn about chemical and physical changes.

Differentiation

Before beginning the experiment, the teacher can engage students and assess prior knowledge by reviewing chemical reactions.
This experiment can fit within a larger unit on different types of alternative energy.
This experiment can supplement a classroom discussion on new research related to corn-based ethanol or waste-based biofuels and their economic or environmental aspects.

Scientist Notes

Teaching Tips

Standards

Resource Type and Format

All resources can be used for your educational purposes with proper attribution to the content provider.