1. Fossil Fuels
IAN p 31
Textbook pp

2. Fuel
Fossil Fuels
A substance that provides energy, such as heat, light, motion, or electricity
Result of a chemical change
Energy-rich substances formed from the remains of living organisms
These organisms lived hundreds of millions of years ago
Heat and pressure changed remains of these organisms into other substances
Coal, oil, natural gas

3. Hydrocarbons
Burning fossil fuels
Carbon and hydrogen atoms
Make up fossil fuels
When burned, atoms react and combine with oxygen = release heat and light
Provides more energy per kilogram than other fuels
1 kg coal = 2x 1kg wood
Oil and natural gas = 3x equal mass of wood

4. Coal
1800s-growing industries = huge energy needs; switched to coal
22% of fuel used in US, most used for electrical power plants
Must be mined; dangerous work
Most plentiful fossil fuel in US, provides a lot of energy
Increases erosion, runoff= water pollution, much air pollution

5. Oil (Petroleum)
Liquid fossil fuel
Formed from remains of small animals, algae, other organisms in oceans and seas hundreds of millions of years ago
Earth’s oil reserves took 500 million years to form
> 1/3 of energy produced in the world
Cars, airplanes, trains, ships, heat for homes
Located in tiny holes in sandstone or limestone underground
Crude oil = oil first pumped out of ground
Refinery = factory that heats crude oil and separates it into fuels

6. Petrochemicals
Compounds made from oil
Used to make plastics, paints, medicines, and cosmetics

7. Natural Gas
Mixture of methane and other gases
Forms in same way as oil
Less dense than oil, rises above oil deposits
Transported by pipeline
Also compresses into a liquid fuel (buses, trucks)
Produces large amounts of energy, lower levels of many air pollutants, easy to transport
Highly flammable, no odor (odor is added so we can detect a link)

8. Nonrenewable Resources
Take hundreds of millions of years to form
Limited
Not replaceable in human lifetimes
Fossil fuels
Minerals
Fresh water
Uneven distribution: take special conditions to form
US: uses ¼ of oil in world, has 2% of world’s oil supply

9. IAN p 30 – Oil and Natural Gas Formation Book
Million Years Ago
Million Years Ago
Plankton die and fall to ocean floor
Layers of sediment bury their remains
Remains buried depr under sediment
Bacteria decompose oceanic matter
Pressure and temperature increase

10. IAN p 30 – Oil and Natural Gas Formation Book
Today
Greater pressure and temperature = thick, liquid oil and natural gas forms
Oil and natural gas begin to rise through pores until they get trapped by impermeable rock
Oil and natural gas are collected