Energy and Fossil Fuels

Fossil Fuels and Energy

• Fossil fuels are formed from the remains of animals and plants that died millions of years ago.
• Examples of fossil fuels include coal, oil, and natural gas.
• Fossil fuels are non-renewable, meaning they take millions of years to form and will eventually run out.

Chemical Reactions

• Oxidation is a chemical reaction where substances react with oxygen to form oxides.
• Combustion is a chemical reaction where a substance reacts quickly with oxygen, releasing light and heat.
• Decomposition is a chemical reaction where a compound breaks down into simpler compounds and/or elements.

Chemical Equations

• A word equation is a way to represent a chemical reaction, with reactants on the left and products on the right, separated by an arrow.
• A balanced symbol equation uses chemical formulae to represent reactants and products, showing how atoms are rearranged and the relative amounts of reactants and products.

Chemical Principles

• Conservation of mass states that the total mass of reactants equals the total mass of products in a chemical reaction.
• Endothermic changes transfer energy from the surroundings, while exothermic changes transfer energy to the surroundings.

General Terms

• A hazard is a possible source of danger.
• A reactant is a starting substance in a chemical reaction.
• A product is a substance made in a chemical reaction.
• A physical change is a reversible change, where new substances are not formed.
• A discrete variable is one that can only have whole-number values.

Learn about fossil fuels, non-renewable energy sources, and the chemical reactions involved in their formation and use.