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66 SCIPAD - BIG IDEAS - BOOK 2
FUELS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Fuels
Fuels are substances that are burned in order to release energy. Humans
use a range of fuels (oil, gas, petrol, diesel, wood, etc.), and these can
be classified as either renewable or non-renewable.
Renewable fuel resources can be replaced, and will not run out.
Examples include: biofuels (e.g. vegetable oil used as fuel, ethanol
and methanol (made from wood, human or animal waste, etc.),
biodiesel or hydrogen gas.
Non-renewable fuel resources cannot be replaced once they are used up.
Examples include petrol, diesel, natural gas, coal and crude oil. Non-renewable fuels are the
most common and widely used throughout the world.
1. Define the term ‘fuel’
2. Explain the difference between renewable fuels and non-renewable fuels.
3. Give three examples of:
(a) Renewable fuel resources: (i)
(ii)
(iii)
(b) Non-renewable fuel resources: (i)
(ii)
(iii)
Fossil Fuels
Most non-renewable fuel resources are called fossil fuels. Fossil fuels formed from the remains of
living things. Evidence indicates that millions of years of heat and pressure changed the remains of
plants and animals into fossil fuels. For example, coal was formed from the remains of plants. Crude
oil and natural gas were formed from the remains of sea creatures.
Fossil fuels are carbon-based compounds. This means they contain carbon (along with other
elements such as hydrogen and oxygen).
1. Explain why fossil fuels are considered non-renewable sources of fuel.
2. Outline the origin of the following fossil fuels:
(a) Coal:
(b) Crude oil:
3. Complete the following paragraph.
Fossil fuels are classified as - based compounds because they
contain the carbon. The source of carbon in fossil fuels comes
from the remains of plants and animals. Large amounts of
and turn them into substances such as .
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