Fossil Fuels PDF

a  FOSSILS - refers to the remains or traces of living things from geologic eras - preserved remains of plants and animals whose bodies were buried in sediments, such as sand and mud, under ancient seas, lakes and rivers. a When did fossil fuels originate?  Fossil fuels had their o...

a  FOSSILS - refers to the remains or traces of living things from geologic eras - preserved remains of plants and animals whose bodies were buried in sediments, such as sand and mud, under ancient seas, lakes and rivers. a When did fossil fuels originate?  Fossil fuels had their origin during the Carboniferous Period of the Paleozoic Era of the Earth’s geologic time, “Carboniferous” means coal-bearing while “Paleozoic” refers to ancient life.  The Carboniferous world was characterized by swamps where large tress, giant ferns, and many other plants thrived.  Swamps are low-lying areas, saturated with water, either permanently or frequently. Swamps are forested wetlands A swamp outside New Orleans, Louisiana, is rich in plant and animal life. Algae and microscopic plants (phytoplankton) and animals (zooplankton) also thrived in the seas and oceans of the Carboniferous times. 1. What is the Carboniferous period and when did it occur? 2. How were fossil fuels formed? 3. What are the three major types of fossil fuels? 4. What was coal formed from? 5. What was oil formed from? 6. How was natural gas formed? 7. Why are fossil fuels sought after as energy sources? 8. What are some common products that can be made from fossil fuels? 9. Why are fossil fuels considered non- renewable resources? 10. What are some concerns associated with the production of fossil fuels?  Coal is formed from the remains of plants that once grew in swamps and adjacent forests millions of years ago These organisms were then buried under oxygen- poor or anoxic conditions. 1. Peat - is considered the precursor form of coal, contains less than 60% carbon and composed wholly of volatile matter. - Left to itself, it burns like wood, gives less heat, emits more smoke and leaves a lot of ash. 2. Lignite - is also known as brown coal and is composed of 65-70% carbon and 53-63% volatile matter. - It undergoes spontaneous combustion 3. Bituminous coal - is a sedimentary rock composed of 70-86% carbon and 31-46% volatile matter. - Calorific value is very high due to high proportion of carbon and low moisture. 4. Anthracite - is deemed the highest form of coal due to its carbon content ranging from 86-98% with 3- 8% volatile matter. - Ignites slowly and burns with a nice short blue flame. Normally Normally Normally Normally Normally Normally