Fossil fuels are like savings for the future. Just like how we save money for future needs, nature saves us energy in the form of coal, oil, and natural gas. All of which are formed with remains of ancient animals and plants, known as fossil fuels. Now, we are using these savings to power many forms of work in our daily lives. However, what if these savings run out? In these notes, we will be exploring the importance, formation, and eventually the methods for conserving this important form of energy.
Fossil fuels are energy-dense products developed from the remains of prehistoric plants and animals which existed millions of years ago. When these creatures died, they were buried under mud, sand, and rocks. They were converted into fuels through heat and pressure over time, which we currently dig up and make use of. To define fossil fuels, we can simply put that
"Fossil fuels are non-renewable energy sources like coal, oil, and natural gas created from prehistoric organic matter."
The formation of fossil fuels is natural, hence a slow process taking at least millions of years to give the outcome. Here’s what it takes to form these natural resources of energy:
The process of fossil fuel formation here gives the reasoning why it is a non-renewable source of energy, that is, it can be used only once and cannot be replaced.
Generally, fossil fuels can be found in three different states, and hence are divided into three main types. Which include:
Energy from fossil fuels is released when they burn, a procedure also known as combustion. This is a chemical reaction that produces heat, which is used to generate electricity or do any other mechanical work. Here are some Fossil fuels examples and their application in real life:
Fossil fuels are the most widely used source of energy due to the large number of advantages of fossil fuels they possess, which include:
Although fossil fuels have a lot of advantages, there are some significant disadvantages of fossil fuels, which include:
At the current rate of use, the fossil fuel resources are continuously depleting. The depletion of fossil fuels simply refers to the gradual decrease in natural reserves of coal, oil, and natural gas due to overuse and high demand. Since fossil fuels take millions of years to form and are being used up much faster than they are created, it is creating a global shortage of these resources. This is why scientists and the government have been continuously promoting alternative sources of energy and other sustainable methods for the use of fossil fuels.
As discussed above, the resources for fossil fuels are decreasing at a high pace, and conserving fossil fuels is becoming a necessity. Here are some methods for doing this:
(Session 2025 - 26)