Nature is a space full of resources that any living thing depends on and deserves. Still today many are trying to discover more fossils from the past for study and research purposes. The great minds in the past believed that fossils are not only for studying purposes, but they possess other qualities too. The fossils that can be used as fuel were determined by Andreas Libavius a German professor. Let’s see the process and usage of fossil fuels for mankind.

Fossil fuels:

A wood-burning to from coal

Fossils are the remains of dead organisms in the past found later on in the future. They are used to study ancient organisms and their lifestyles. Later on, with the discovery that it can be used as a source of energy the demand for fossil increased more. The concentrative amount of heat to a fossil can produce fuels based on the fossils. Burning coal can release carbon dioxide and hydrogen atoms which can be turned into electricity.

There are commonly 3 types of fossil fuels that are used majorly. These are Coal, Natural gas, and Oil.

Types of fossil fuels

Plants that lived in ancient times in swamp forests died and decayed on the ground. Over that the soil and water form a layer and create a pressurized and heated environment for fossils. They undergo a chemical reaction in pressure and heat and in the absence of oxygen to end up in the formation of coal.

West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Illinois are major coal-producing states in the USA.

Coal can be obtained from surface mining and by underground mining by removing the upper layer of surface and rocks and creating tunnels underground for major coal extraction.

Natural gas is ignited to generate energy in various forms like electricity, etc. It is a major resource for electricity in the USA. Natural gas can be obtained by drilling wells in-ground and is also found in shale and sedimentary rocks. In the process of hydraulic fracturing, natural gases are obtained by forcing the water and chemicals, at high pressure which cracks the rock and releases gases.

Oil is a resource that is used in our day-to-day life routine from houses to industries. It is obtained from underground reservoirs, shales, and tar sands found on the beach. Crude oil is the main source that has undergone several processes to obtain petroleum. Crude oil is extracted into many products like fuel, nonfuel like pesticides, fertilizers, plastics, and pharmaceuticals.

Uses of fossil fuels:

Three major fossil fuels are used in our daily lives. In the updating lifestyle, we can’t be able to live without them. It had become one of the basic needs in today’s life. Let’s see some of the uses of fossil fuels for mankind:

Coal is used in producing electricity for daily life.
It is used as a substitute for natural gas in producing electricity.
Coal is also used in products like dyes, toothbrushes, fibers, plastics, etc.
Coal is used in the steel industry, pharmaceutical, cement manufacturing, and paper.

Natural gases are converted to LPG for household cooking purposes.
It is used in producing electricity.
Gases are used in steel foundries, glass foundries, welding purposes, etc.
It is also used in producing paints, fertilizers, and plastics.
Oil is used in automobiles for maintenance purposes.
It is used as a lubricant for every piece of machinery.
It is used in steel to prevent rusting.
It is used in cooking.
Crude oil is the base product of petrol.

These are some of the common uses of fossil fuels in daily lives. In the developing phase of the country, these fossil fuels are replaced by Nuclear plants, solar energy, windmills, hydropower, biomass, etc. These are environmentally friendly and are renewable sources in nature.

By Mukesh Kumar U M

14/02/2022

Erakina