The common method for converting biomass into ethanol is called fermentation. During fermentation, microorganisms (e.g., bacteria and yeast) metabolize plant sugars and produce ethanol.
Options explanation
Chemical process is a method or means of somehow changing one or more chemicals or chemical compounds. Such a chemical process can occur by itself or be caused by an outside force and involves a chemical reaction of some sort.
Physical change - Changes in the size or form of matter are examples of physical change
Biological processes are those processes that are vital for an organism to live, and that shape its capacities for interacting with its environment.
Confusing points
Any hydrocarbon fuel that is produced from an organic matter (living or once-living material) in a short period of time (days, weeks, or even months) is considered a biofuel.
Biofuels may be solid, liquid, or gaseous in nature.
Solid: Wood, dried plant material, and manure
Liquid: Bioethanol and Biodiesel
Gaseous: Biogas
Important points
Classification of Biofuels:
1st generation biofuels are also called conventional biofuels. They are made from things like sugar, starch, or vegetable oil. Note that these are all food products. Any biofuel made from a feedstock that can also be consumed as human food is considered a first-generation biofuel.
2nd generation biofuels are produced from sustainable feedstock. The sustainability of a feedstock is defined by its availability, its impact on greenhouse gas emissions, its impact on land use, and by its potential to threaten the food supply. No second-generation biofuel is also a food crop, though certain food products can become second-generation fuels when they are no longer useful for consumption. Second-generation biofuels are often called “advanced biofuels.”
3rd generation biofuels are biofuels derived from algae. These biofuels are given their own separate class because of their unique production mechanism and their potential to mitigate most of the drawbacks of 1st and 2nd generation biofuels.
4th generation biofuels: In the production of these fuels, crops that are genetically engineered to take in high amounts of carbon are grown and harvested as biomass. The crops are then converted into fuel using second-generation techniques.