 A. Formation and Use of Fossil Fuels  *Fossil Fuels form from the remains of plants and animals.  -the form in the natural process that takes millions of years.  *People depend on fossil fuels for most energy needs.

 -People began to depend more and more on energy.  -ex. They needed energy to run factories, machines, trains, and other new devices.  -they first turned to coal

 During this time period people found oil and natural gas were useful energy sources.

 * Coal  * Petroleum or oil  * And Natural Gas

-most coal formed from the remains of plants that lived during the Carboniferous period. -Earth’s climate was warm and the land was covered with swamps and shallow seas. -due to pressure the plant and animal remains gradually turned into coal, oil, or natural gas.

 Coal was formed from dead plant matter  Oil and natural gas formed from remains of marine plants and animals.  -once formed, the oil moved through cracks in rock below Earth’ surface.

 -fossil fuels are part of the energy chain that begins with the sun  Energy from the Sun is stored in fossil fuels  -burned fuels release stored energy

* powering automobiles * heating houses * running appliances

 -making electricity 1. Thermal Energy from burning the fuels is used to boil water. -steam turns turbines -generators convert the mechanical energy of turbines to electrical energy that can be distributed to homes, schools, and business

 -is distilled to make jet fuel for air planes.

 -used for trucks, buses, and trains  -the engines change the chemical energy stored in the fuel into mechanical energy that runs the vehicle.

 -is used to heat more than half of all homes in the U. S.  -propane, a product from refined crude oil, is also used to heat homes.  -also fuels many barbecue grills and out door stoves.

 -fossil fuels are a non-renewable resource, which means they can not be replaced quickly or easily.  -people are using fossil fuels much more quickly than natural processes are replacing them.  -at this rate, Earth will run out of fossil fuels some day

 -burning fossil fuels pollutes the environment.  -ex. Burning coal produces smoke and soot.  -today strict laws and better technology help prevent pollution from fossil fuels.

 -burning also releases carbon dioxide gas into the air.

 -fossil fuels take millions of years to form.  -their supply is quickly shrinking and it causes pollution and other problems.  -scientists are developing cleaner, renewable sources of energy to replace fossil fuels.

 1. Turn off lights, TV, and other appliances when not in use.  2. Recycle  3. Change clothes to fit the weather instead of turning up the air conditioning or heat.  4. Seal windows and doors

 -a community can conserve energy, too, by: › 1. promoting public transportation › 2. investing in new energy technology › 3. encouraging everyone to use energy wisely

 -because fossil fuels are nonrenewable, and supplies are limited, people are developing way to use renewable resources.  Ex. Sun  wind  and moving water

 -such resources can be used day after day without running out.  -they do not pollute the atmosphere.

 -energy from the sun  -inexhaustible energy source -people can never use it all up!  -can be used as heaters, and make electricity in solar power plants  -solar plant in Mojave Desert provides power to 350,000 homes

 -people have built and used wind mills for hundreds of years.  -they were used to grind grain or pump water  -as the wind turned the blades sails, a series of gears would turn to provide power  -due to improved technology, wind power is now promising source of energy

 -mechanical energy is converted to electrical energy  -the amount of energy depends on the size of the turbine and the wind speed  -some countries use wind power to generate 10% of their electricity or more.  -fields with dozens if wind turbines are called wind farms

 - the turbines work together to provide large amounts of electricity.  -ex. California had the largest wind farm  -Downfall: -the farms take up a lot of space  -only work best in areas where steady winds blow

 -Like wind, water had been used as an energy source for hundreds of years.  -ex. The Romans built large water wheels on rivers, which they used to grind grain

 -Electrical energy generate from moving water is called hydroelectric energy.  -the first step to build a hydroelectric power plant, is to built a dam on a steep section of a river.  -water is stored behind the dam in a reservoir  these plants produce about 10% of the country’s power.

 Benefits of hydroelectric power:  -it produces energy without pollution the air. - they rely on the water cycle-a free energy source

 downfall:  -could damage the river environment  -ex. Could change the flow of the river and can harm the lives of fish and other animals.

 Ocean tides can also be harnessed to produce electricity

 -Uranium Ore is fairly common in Earth’s crust, but its not stable. › -the nucleus of the atom can break apart and radiate energy › -this is why its called radioactive › -when the nucleus splits it is called fission

› -fission releases a great deal of energy › -harnessing the energy is the heart of nuclear power

 -a nuclear power plant, bundles of rods containing uranium are placed in a reactor  -the energy released turns water into steam  Steam then turns the turbines that makes electricity

 - provides a clean and quiet way to generate electricity  -no soot or carbon dioxide

 -worst risk is the accidental release of radioactive material  -nuclear waste is a more common problem  -after uranium fuel is spent, it may remain radioactive for thousands of years  -today waste is transported to a remote area and buried n underground containers

 -thermal energy from Earth’s interior  -how it works...  -magma from Earth’s interior is close to underground pools of water, if the water boils and produces steam, it may rise through rocks to the surface.  -this forms hot springs or geysers

 - used for:  -heated water can be sent through insulated pipes to heat swimming pools and buildings.  -it can also be used to produce electricity  -heat homes

 -it’s a free source of energy that will not run out.

 -includes: › -unused plant parts from farms › -Saw dust and bark from lumber mills › -animal wastes

 -because it comes from living matter, it contains stored solar energy, just as fossil fuels do.  -however energy is much less concentrated

 - new technologies are needed to turn biomass into a cost-efficient energy source.

 1. it can be burned in a power plant to produce electricity  2. if it decays it produces methane gas, which can be collected and transported to power plants  3. biofuels- unwanted parts of corn plants can be used to make ethanol, a type of alcohol, that can be burned as fuel

 4. You can make biomass at home by composting.  -ex. Place grass clippings, food scraps, and unwanted cotton fabric into compost bin or pile.  -when these materials decay, they create a nutrient-rich material to fertilize.

 1. When biomass burns, it creates much less air pollution than fossil fuels.  2. Keeps it from taking space in landfills