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Grades 9–12. Calorimetry provides firsthand experience with the transformation of chemical energy to thermal energy. This lab is based on the phenomenon of the diesel engine as a thermal system. Students calculate the heat of combustion for prepared biodiesel, corn oil, and canola oil. Those values and the provided data for traditional petro-diesel fuels allow students to support their claims about the relative functionality of each fuel. Materials support 16 pairs and include digital resources.

Though biofuels never gained the growth and popularity of diesel fuel, a late 20th-century resurgence in research has revived interest in biofuels and biodiesel engines. Students will consider this phenomenon, the diesel engine, and how it relates to their calorimeter apparatus as a thermal system while also seeking to answer the driving question, “How do biodiesels compare with their virgin source oils, traditional petro-diesel fuel, and kerosene with regard to their potential use as fuels?” Kit materials support 16 student pairs. Note: The biodiesel sample preparation process that is required before students begin the activity takes a minimum of 6 calendar days from start to finish.

Time Requirement
Total, 235 minutes. Teacher prep, 115 minutes. Pre-lab, 45 minutes. Investigation, 45 minutes. Assessment, 30 minutes.

Digital Resources
Includes 1-year access to digital resources that support 3-dimensional instruction for NGSS. Digital resources may include a teacher manual and student guide, pre-lab activities and setup videos, phenomenon videos, simulations, and post-lab analysis and assessments.

Performance Expectations
HS-PS3-1
HS-ESS3-2
HS-ETS1-3

Crosscutting Concepts
Energy and Matter: Flows, Cycles, and Conservation

Disciplinary Core Ideas
PS3.B: Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer

Science and Engineering Practices
Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

Learning Objectives

• Calculate the heat of combustion for different fuels.
• Evaluate the efficacy of different hydrocarbon fuels.
• Apply the first law of thermodynamics to different systems.

Prerequisite Knowledge and Skills
Students should be familiar with combustion reactions, specific heat and heat of combustion, and the properties and forms of energy.