Fossil Fuels and Combustion Quiz

Fossil Fuels: Key Facts and Characteristics

• A fuel is a substance that provides energy through a chemical change, such as heat, light, electricity, or motion.
• The process of burning a fuel is called combustion, which results in the production of carbon dioxide and water from gasoline and oxygen.
• Fossil fuels are energy-rich substances formed from the remains of once-living organisms, with coal, oil, and natural gas being the three major types.
• Coal is a solid fossil fuel formed from plant remains and is the most plentiful fossil fuel in the U.S., providing ease of transport and high energy output when burned.
• Known deposits of coal and other fossil fuels that can be obtained using current technology are referred to as reserves.
• Oil, a thick, liquid fossil fuel, is formed from the remains of small animals, algae, and protists, and is also known as petroleum.
• The United States consumes about one third of all oil.