Name

Class

CHAPTER 5

Date

Energy Resources

SECTION

2 Fossil Fuels
National Science
Education Standards

BEFORE YOU READ

After you read this section, you should be able to answer
these questions:

ES 1d, 1e, 1k, 3d

What are the different kinds of fossil fuels?

How do fossil fuels form?
What are the problems with using fossil fuels?

What Are Fossil Fuels?

How do plants and animals that lived hundreds of millions of years ago affect your life today? Plants and animals that lived long ago provide much of the energy we
use. If you turned on the lights or traveled to school in a
car or bus, you probably used some of this energy.
Energy resources are natural resources that people
use to produce energy, such as heat and electricity. Most
of the energy we use comes from fossil fuels. A fossil
fuel is an energy resource made from the remains of
plants and tiny animals that lived long ago. The different
kinds of fossil fuels are petroleum, coal, and natural gas.
Fossil fuels are an important part of our everyday
life. When fossil fuels burn, they release a lot of energy.
Power plants use the energy to produce electricity. Cars
use the energy to move.
However, there are also some problems with using fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are nonrenewable, which means that
they cannot be replaced once they have been used. Also,
when they burn, they release pollution.

STUDY TIP
Compare In your notebook,
make a table to show the
similarities and differences
between different kinds of
fossil fuels.

READING CHECK
1. Identify Where do we get
most of the energy we use?

#OALCOMESFROMAREASTHAT
WERESWAMPSANDBOGS

TAKE A LOOK
0ETROLEUM
0ETROLEUMCOMESFROM
AREASTHATWEREOCEANS
MILLIONSOFYEARSAGO

.ATURALGAS

2. Describe In general,
where are the natural gas
deposits in the United States?

#OAL

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Energy Resources

Name
SECTION 2

Class

Date

Fossil Fuels continued

Say It

Discuss Have you ever seen

or used methane, propane,
or butane? In a small group,
talk about what these different gases are used for.

READING CHECK
3. Identify What is most
natural gas used for?

STANDARDS CHECK
ES 1k Living organisms have
played many roles in the earth
system, including affecting the
composition of the atmosphere,
producing some types of rocks,
and contributing to the weathering of rocks.

What Is Natural Gas?

A hydrocarbon is a compound that contains the elements carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Natural gas is a
mixture of hydrocarbons that are in the form of gases.
Natural gas includes methane, propane, and butane,
which can be separated from one another.
Most natural gas is used for heating. Your home may
be heated by natural gas. Your kitchen stove may run on
natural gas. Some natural gas is used for creating electrical
energy, and some cars are able to run on natural gas, too.
HOW NATURAL GAS FORMS

When tiny sea creatures die, their remains settle to the

ocean floor and are buried in sediment. The sediment slowly
becomes rock. Over millions of years, heat and pressure
under the ground chemically change the remains. The carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in them can become natural gas.
Natural gas is always forming. Some of the sea life
that dies today will become natural gas millions of years
from now.

Word Help: role

a part or function; purpose
'AS

Word Help: affect

to change; to act upon
4. Explain How does
natural gas form?

0ETROLEUM
2ESERVOIRROCKS
HOLDNATURALGASAND
PETROLEUM

)MPERMEABLEROCKSACT
LIKEATRAPTHATPETROLEUM
ANDNATURALGASCANNOT
MOVETHROUGH

0ERMEABLEROCKSARE
ROCKSTHATNATURALGAS
ANDPETROLEUMCAN
MOVETHROUGH

PROBLEMS WITH NATURAL GAS

Natural gas can be dangerous because it burns very

easily. It can cause fires and explosions. Like other fossil
fuels, natural gas causes pollution when it burns. However,
it does not cause as much pollution as other fossil fuels.
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Energy Resources

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Fossil Fuels continued

What Is Petroleum?
Petroleum is a mixture of hydrocarbons that are in
the form of liquids. It is also known as crude oil. At a
refinery, petroleum is separated into many different
products, including gasoline, jet fuel, kerosene, diesel fuel,
and fuel oil.
Petroleum products provide more than 40% of the
worlds energy, including fuel for airplanes, trains, boats,
ships, and cars. Petroleum is so valuable that it is often
called black gold.

READING CHECK
5. Describe What form is
petroleum found in naturally?

HOW PETROLEUM FORMS

Petroleum forms the same way natural gas does. Tiny

sea creatures die and then get buried in sediment, which
turns into rock. Some of their remains become petroleum,
which is stored in permeable rock within Earths crust.
PROBLEMS WITH PETROLEUM

Petroleum can be harmful to animals and their environment. For example, in June 2000, the carrier ship
Treasure sank off the coast of South Africa. The ship
spilled more than 400 tons of oil into the ocean. The oil
covered penguins and other sea creatures, making it hard
for them to swim, breathe, and eat.

Math Focus

6. Make a Graph Use the

information below to show
where the worlds crude oil
comes from.
Middle East: 66%
North America and South
America: 15%
Europe and Asia: 12%
Africa: 7%

Burning petroleum causes smog. Smog is a brownish

haze that forms when sunlight reacts with pollution in the
air. Smog can make it hard for people to breathe. Many
cities in the world have problems with smog.
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Fossil Fuels continued

What Is Coal?
Coal is a solid fossil fuel that is made of partly
decayed plant material. Coal was once the main source
of energy in the United States. Like other fossil fuels,
coal releases heat when it is burned. Many people used
to burn coal in stoves to heat their homes. Trains in the
1800s and 1900s were powered by coal-burning steam
locomotives. Coal is now used in power plants to make
electricity.
HOW COAL FORMS

When swamp plants die, they sink to the bottom of the

swamp. If they do not decay completely, coal can start to
form. Coal forms in several different stages.

TAKE A LOOK

7. Identify Name the three

types of coal.

Stage 1: Formation of Peat

Dead swamp plants that have not decayed can turn into
peat, a crumbly brown material made mostly of plant
material and water. Dried peat is about 60% carbon. In
some parts of the world, peat is dried and burned for
fuel. Peat is not coal, but it can turn into coal.

Stage 2: Formation of Lignite

If sediment buries the peat, pressure and temperature
increase. The peat slowly changes into a type of coal
called lignite. Lignite coal is harder than peat. Lignite is
about 70% carbon.

Stage 3: Formation of Bituminous Coal

If more sediment is added, pressure and temperature
force more water and gases out of the lignite. Lignite
slowly changes into bituminous coal. Bituminous coal is
about 80% carbon.

TAKE A LOOK

8. Identify Which kind

of coal contains the most
carbon?

Stage 4: Formation of Anthracite

If more sediment accumulates, temperature and pressure
continue to increase. Bituminous coal slowly changes
into anthracite. Anthracite coal is the hardest type of
coal. Anthracite coal is about 90% carbon.

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Fossil Fuels continued

PROBLEMS WITH COAL

Mining coal can create environmental problems. When

coal is mined from Earths surface, people remove the
layers of soil above the coal. This can harm the plants
that need soil to grow and the animals that need soil for
shelter. If the land is not restored after mining, wildlife
habitats can be destroyed for years.
Coal that is on Earths surface can cause pollution.
Water that flows through coal can pick up poisonous metals. That water can then flow into streams and lakes and
pollute water supplies.
When coal is burned without pollution controls, a gas
called sulfur dioxide is released. Sulfur dioxide can combine with the water in the air to produce sulfuric acid.
Sulfuric acid is one of the acids in acid precipitation.
Acid precipitation is rain, sleet, or snow that contains
a lot of acids, often because of air pollutants. Acid precipitation is also called acid rain. Acid precipitation can
harm wildlife, plants, and buildings.

Critical Thinking
9. Infer What do you think
is the reason that fossil fuels
are still used today, even
though they create many
environmental problems?

TAKE A LOOK

10. Dene What is acid

precipitation?
In 1935, this statue had not been
damaged by acid precipitation.

By 1994, acid precipitation had

caused serious damage to the
statue.

How Do We Obtain Fossil Fuels?

People remove fossil fuels from the Earth in different
ways. The way that a fossil fuel is removed depends on
the kind of fuel and where it is located. Remember that
people remove coal from the Earth by mining it. People
remove petroleum and natural gas by drilling into the
rocks that contain the fuels. Then, the petroleum or natural gas is removed through a well. These wells may be on
land or in the ocean.
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Name

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Section 2 Review

NSES

ES 1d, 1e, 1k, 3d

SECTION VOCABULARY
acid precipitation rain, sleet, or snow that contains a high concentration of acids
coal a fossil fuel that forms underground from
partially decomposed plant material
fossil fuel a nonrenewable energy resource
formed from the remains of organisms that
lived long ago

natural gas a mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons

located under the surface of Earth, often near
petroleum deposits; used as a fuel
petroleum a liquid mixture of complex
hydrocarbon compounds; used widely as a
fuel source
smog photochemical haze that forms when
sunlight acts on industrial pollutants and
burning fuels

1. Compare How are petroleum and natural gas different?

2. Compare Fill in the table to compare the different kinds of fossil fuels.
Kind of fossil fuel

What it is

How it forms

Coal

a mixture of gases
containing carbon,
hydrogen, and oxygen

3. Summarize What are some of the problems with using fossil fuels for energy?

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Earth Science Answer Key continued

3. An index mineral is a mineral that forms

3. In most cases, wood can be replaced at the

only at certain temperatures and pressures.

Chlorite, muscovite, and garnet are index
minerals for metamorphic rocks.
4. Because index minerals form only at certain
temperatures and pressures, they can be
used to estimate the temperature and pressure or depth at which a rock forms.
5. Quartzite is a metamorphic rock. It forms
when quartz sandstone is exposed to heat
and pressure. The quartz crystals grow
larger during metamorphism.
6. The rock with garnet probably formed at a
greater depth, because garnet is an index
mineral for greater depths than chlorite.

rate at which it is consumed. If people

use it faster than it can grow back, it is a
nonrenewable resource.
4. Conserving resources means using only
what you need and protecting resources,
even when you are not using them.
5. They take millions of years to form.

SECTION 2 FOSSIL FUELS

1.
2.
3.
4.

from fossil fuels

mostly in Texas and Oklahoma
heating
Tiny sea creatures die and are buried in
sediment. Over time, their remains become
natural gas.
5. Petroleum occurs naturally as a liquid.
6.
7%

Chapter 5 Energy
Resources
SECTION 1 NATURAL RESOURCES

12%

1. any natural material that people use to fulfill

2.
3.
4.

5.

6.

Middle East

their needs
Possible answers: water, air, coal, metal
a resource that cannot be replaced as fast as
it is used
Many renewable resources are renewable
only if people do not use them too quickly. If
they are used too quickly, they become nonrenewable resources.
Possible answer: Nonrenewable resources
should be conserved so that we dont use them
up. Renewable resources should be conserved
so that they have time to regenerate.
Instead of...

You can...

...keeping your home very

warm in the winter and
very cool in the summer,

...use less heat and air

conditioning.

...taking long, hot

showers,

...take shorter showers

and use less hot water.

North and South America

15%

Africa
Europe and Asia

66%

7. lignite, bituminous coal, and anthracite

8. anthracite
9. Fossil fuels are fairly cheap and are very

compact sources of energy. We now rely on

fossil fuels.
10. rain, sleet, snow that contains a lot of acid
Review
1. Petroleum exists as a liquid in its natural state.

Natural gas exists as a gas in its natural state.

2.

7. Fewer natural resources and less energy are

needed to make recycled objects than to

make new objects.
Review
1. A renewable resource can be replaced as

fast as it is consumed. A nonrenewable

resource cannot.
2. Turn off the water when you brush your
teeth. Wash only full loads of laundry. Turn
the lights out when you leave a room. Use
both sides of a piece of paper.

Kind of fossil
fuel

What it is

How it forms

Coal

a solid fuel
made from plant
matter

Partly
decomposed
plant matter is
put under heat
and pressure.

Natural Gas

a mixture of
gases containing
carbon,
hydrogen, and
oxygen

Tiny sea
creatures die
and are buried
in sediment.

Petroleum

a mixture of
liquids containing
carbon,
hydrogen, and
oxygen

Tiny sea
creatures die
and are buried
in sediment.

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Earth Science

Earth Science Answer Key continued

Chapter 6 The Rock and

Fossil Record

3. Burning coal contributes to acid precipitation.

Surface mining of coal removes soil and can

destroy habitats. Petroleum spills can poison
the oceans. Burning petroleum contributes to
smog. Natural gas is highly flammable.

SECTION 1 EARTHS STORY AND THOSE

WHO FIRST LISTENED
1. deposits of sediment
2. Catastrophism: Earth changes only because

SECTION 3 ALTERNATIVE RESOURCES

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

fission and fusion

barium-142 and krypton-91
Nuclear energy does not cause air pollution.
two protons and two neutrons
People havent figured out how to control
fusion reactions on Earth.
Many windmills can get more energy from
the wind than just one or two can.
Windmills take up a lot of space.
Fuel cells produce electricity, and water is
the waste product.
renewable, nonpolluting, inexpensive
Habitats might be destroyed or species
might become extinct.
The hot water can be used to create electricity
and heat buildings.
Arrows follow the path of the numbered steps.

of sudden events.
Uniformitarianism: Earth changes only
because of slow processes over time.
3. Some changes on Earth happen quickly, but
most happen slowly.
4. plants
5. Fossils can show how environments and life
on Earth have changed with time.
Review
1. Sudden processes can cause large changes

2.

Review
1. The sun cannot be used up.
2. Because biomass grows back very quickly,

3.
4.

it can be replaced. However, if people use

biomass more quickly than it can grow back,
it is no longer considered renewable.
3. Geothermal energy is useful only if hot rock is
near the surface. The city near the volcano is
more likely to have hot rock near the surface,
so it is more likely to be able use geothermal
energy.
4. Wind energy is useful only in places that
have strong, regular winds. Also, wind
energy collection requires large areas of
empty land for the windmills, so it is usually
not usable in cities or other crowded areas.
5. Answers will vary. Students should show
an understanding of the requirements of
their chosen kind of energy (e.g., a student
living in the desert should not choose
hydroelectric power).

5.

or small changes. The changes can be longterm or short-term. For example, a hurricane can affect a small part of Earth for a
few days. A comet impact on Earth could
cause Earths climate to change significantly.
Rocks are broken down into smaller pieces.
The pieces are carried over the Earths surface and deposited in layers.
A fossil is evidence that life once existed in
a place.
Some fossils are signs, such as footprints,
that organisms once existed.
Because the clams lived in shallow ocean
water, the rock in which the fossils were
found must have been part of a shallow ocean
5 million years ago. This probably means that
the ocean in this area once reached much
farther inland than it does today.

SECTION 2 RELATIVE DATING: WHICH

CAME FIRST?
1. determining the age of a rock relative to
2.
3.
4.
5.

6.
7.

other rocks
superposition
They combine information from rock
sequences around the world.
They are not horizontal.
Folded rocks are bent or buckled. The shape
of the rock layers has changed. Tilted rocks
are simply moved so that they are no longer
horizontal.
igneous rock
a break in Earths crust

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