Fossil fuel
Fossil fuel
Fossil fuel (/ˈfɒsɪl fjuːl/) is a term used to describe a group of energy sources that were formed when ancient plants and organisms were subject to intense heat and pressure over millions of years. The term 'fossil fuel' comes from the fact that these substances are made from decayed plants and animals that have been fossilized over long periods of time.
Etymology
The term "fossil fuel" was first used in English in the late 18th century. It is derived from the Latin fossilis, meaning "dug up", and the Old French feu, meaning "fire". This reflects the fact that these fuels are extracted from beneath the Earth's surface and are used to produce fire and heat.
Types of Fossil Fuels
There are three main types of fossil fuels: Coal, Natural Gas, and Petroleum.
- Coal is a black or brownish-black sedimentary rock that can be burned for fuel. It is primarily composed of carbon along with various other elements such as hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
- Natural Gas is a naturally occurring hydrocarbon gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, but commonly includes varying amounts of other higher alkanes, and sometimes a small percentage of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and hydrogen sulfide.
- Petroleum is a naturally occurring, yellowish-black liquid found in geological formations beneath the Earth's surface. It is commonly refined into various types of fuels.
Related Terms
- Carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by an individual, event, organization, or product, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent.
- Greenhouse effect is the process by which radiation from a planet's atmosphere warms the planet's surface to a temperature above what it would be without this atmosphere.
- Global warming is a long-term rise in the average temperature of the Earth's climate system, an aspect of climate change shown by temperature measurements and by multiple effects of the warming.
- Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources, which are naturally replenished on a human timescale, such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Fossil fuel
- Wikipedia's article - Fossil fuel
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