About This Lesson
This activity from the U.S Department of Energy introduces students to alternative fuels and gives them an opportunity to produce their own biodiesel fuel. The text of the exercise gives students a brief background in the environmental benefits of using biodiesel as a diesel substitute. The lab portion of this exercise demonstrates the basic chemistry involved in making biodiesel from vegetable oils and waste oils. Many students have heard of biodiesel without realizing that producing the fuel from waste vegetable oil is a fairly simple process.
