fossil fuel
Sign in to savecombustible fuel containing hydrocarbons formed by natural processes such as anaerobic decomposition of buried dead organisms, examples being coal, petroleum and natural gas
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Fossil fuels are energy sources like coal, petroleum, and natural gas that formed over millions of years from the remains of dead organisms buried deep underground. They matter because they are combustible—meaning they can be burned to release energy—and have become a major source of power for modern societies.
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Fossil fuels share energy
A fossil fuel is a flammable carbon compound- or hydrocarbon-containing material formed naturally in the Earth's crust from the buried remains of prehistoric organisms (animals, plants or microplanktons), a process that occurs within geological formations. Reservoirs of such compound mixtures, such as coal, petroleum and natural gas, can be extracted and burnt as fuel for human consumption to provide energy for direct use (such as for cooking, heating or lighting), to power heat engines (such as steam or internal combustion engines) that can propel vehicles, or to generate electricity via steam turbine generators. Some fossil fuels are further refined into derivatives such as kerosene, gasoline and diesel, or converted into petrochemicals such as polyolefins (plastics), aromatics and synthetic resins.