Page 112 - DK Children's Encyclopedia

Fossil fuels SEE ALSO

▸ ▸ Carbon cycle p.49
▸ ▸ Climate change
Fossil fuels are natural materials that formed underground p.60
millions of years ago. We dig them up or pump them out ▸ ▸ Dinosaurs p.80
of the ground so that we can burn them to make energy ▸ ▸ Fossils p.111

to power vehicles or to make electricity. There are three ▸ ▸ Industrial
types of fossil fuel: coal, crude oil, and natural gas. Revolution p.133
▸ ▸ Pollution p.198

How fossil fuels form Coal
Fossil fuels are made from dead sea
creatures and rotten plants. These Coal is dug from mines
materials are buried deep under layers that extend deep
of rock and soil that have built up over underground, or
time. Heat and the weight of the from gigantic open
ground above change them into pits at the surface.
fossil fuels.

3. Compression
2. Heat and weight The remains are
1. Rotting As they are buried compressed (squeezed)
Dead trees rot away deeper, the remains are into a layer of coal, which
and are buried in mud. heated and squeezed. is called a seam.

Generating
electricity Gas and oil
Fossil fuels are burned in Crude oil is extracted from the
earth by drilling. It is used to
power stations to make power vehicles and make
electricity. We have used plastics. Gas is also released
fossil fuels to make through drilling. It is used for
heating buildings. There are
electricity for many years, limited amounts of fossil fuels —
but burning them harms if we keep using them, they will
the environment. eventually run out.
Cooling towers at a
power station.
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