The Experiment

Make your own biofuel

Renewable energy sources like biofuels are constantly making headlines in the news today. This experiment explores the production of the biofuel ethanol. It is typically made in the US by converting the starches from corn kernels into the sugars in corn syrup, and then adding yeast to break down the sugars, which releases carbon dioxide and ethanol as byproducts. The ethanol is blended with gasoline and then sold at some gas stations. There you might see a sign at the pump that says “E10,” which means 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent gasoline. Learn more about biofuels and biofuel research.

video image

Find an event in your community

Check to see what 4-H National Youth Science Day events happened in your community with our event finder. Have photos or media coverage from your event? Email us at 4-HNYSD@4-H.org, then come back in a few weeks to see highlights from the day featured here.

Univ of Wisconsin UW Extension logo

The 2009 Experiment was designed in conjunction with the
University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension and Wisconsin 4-H.

Have a question about 4-H National Youth Science Day? Email us here!

Receive updates, reserve your experiment kit and be the first to know when new content is available. Register below:

*Required Fields.

Since you are under 13 years old, you need to enter your parents email address as well.

By entering your email you will receive periodic updates about 4-H NYSD. You will have the option to unsubscribe at any time. 4-H will not share or sell any information to third party vendors, and will be kept for 4-H use only.

Did You Know?

  • Fossil fuels are depleted at a rate that is 100,000 times faster than they are formed.


  • In 1908, Henry Ford produced the Model T as a flexible fuel vehicle. It could run on ethanol, gasoline, or a combination of the two.


  • The Energy Policy Act of 2005 ensured that gasoline contain a minimum volume of renewable fuel.


  • Today, roughly half of the gasoline sold in the United States includes 5–10% ethanol.


  • There are almost 8 million flexible fuel vehicles (FFV) on U.S. roads today, but many FFV owners don't know their vehicle is one.


  • Since 2007, the Department of Energy has announced over $1 billion in multi-year biofuels research and development projects.


  • A high-protein animal feed, known as Distiller's Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS), is produced in the process of making ethanol from corn.