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What are fossil fuels?

Coal, crude oil and

natural gas are called
fossil fuels.

Fossil fuels are found

in the top layer of the
Earth’s crust.

Fossil fuels are so called because they are the remains of

plants and animals that died and became trapped in the layers
of sedimentary rocks millions of years ago.

Most fossil fuels are made of chains of hydrogen and carbon

atoms, called hydrocarbons.

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Why are fossil fuels used?

Fossil fuels provide more than 90% of the energy we need to

produce electricity, power, heat and petrol, etc, for our homes
and transport.
As well as fuels, the fractions obtained from crude oil can
be used to make many other useful substances, such as:
 plastics, e.g. polythene and PVC
 paints and dyes
 fibres and fabrics
 fertilizers and pesticides
 perfumes and soaps
 certain types of medicine.

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How is coal formed?

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Early stages of oil and gas formation

Oil and gas are also biological in origin. Millions of years ago,
tiny animals lived in the sea. Like today, their ecosystem was
dependent on heat and light from the Sun and
photosynthesis by plants.

When they died, the

animals fell into mud
and sand at the
bottom of the sea,
but did not rot away.

Over millions of
years they were
buried deeper by
the mud and sand.

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Later stages of oil and gas formation

The temperature and pressure (caused by the weight of the

sediments and deep burial) changed the mud and sand into
rock, and the dead animals into crude oil and natural gas.

The oil and gas is

extracted from the
seabed or under the
ground, by drilling oil
wells.

Oil wells drilled at

sea are supported
by oil platforms.

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Crude oil and fractional distillation

The oil that comes out of the ground is called crude oil. It
cannot be used as it is, because it is a mixture of many different
substances with different boiling points.

How can you separate a mixture of substances with different

boiling points?

To separate out the useful substances, a process called

fractional distillation is carried out.

big molecules small molecules

boil at a high boil at a lower
temperature temperature

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Fractional distillation

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Fractional distillation: summary

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How does the greenhouse effect work?

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Global warming

Carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas involved in the

warming of the Earth by the greenhouse effect.

When fossil fuels are burned, they

release carbon dioxide and other
greenhouse gases, such as methane.

An increase in the amount of greenhouse

gases increases the amount of heat
trapped in the atmosphere.

Most scientists think that an increase in the greenhouse effect

is making the Earth warmer and leading to global warming.

What are the effects of global warming?

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Effects of global warming

Most scientists predict that global warming will continue, and

that it could cause major climate changes:
 temperature – some areas may be
warmer, others colder
 coastal flooding – sea levels could
rise as ice caps melt
 rainfall – some areas may be
wetter and others drier
 plants – some crops may be able
to grow better, and others, not at all.
Not all scientists agree about global warming though; some
think that climate change is just a natural process on Earth.

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Extracting fossil fuels

The extraction of fossil fuels from deep underground can cause

several environmental problems:
 land and water pollution – as fossil fuels are brought to
the surface they can contaminate water supplies
 disturbance – heavy machinery, roads and tankers are
needed to extract and transport freshly-extracted fossil
fuels, which can significantly disrupt rural areas
 subsidence – poor mining techniques can cause land to
collapse, and destroy habitats.

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Fossil fuels – oil spills

Transporting raw fossil fuels can also have a damaging effect

on the environment. Oil spills from ships or tankers are
extremely hazardous to wildlife and the marine environment,
and can take many months or years to clean up.

Wildlife that comes into contact

with the oil become coated in it,
making their feathers and fur
less waterproof and insulating.
This can make it difficult for
them to fly or avoid predators.

Animals and birds are also at risk of ingesting the oil when
they try to clean it off, causing damage to internal organs.

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Can fossil fuels be re-used?

Fossil fuels are non-renewable; once a fossil fuel has been

burnt it cannot be re-used. Why is this a problem?

Coal, oil and natural gas took millions of years to form, and
are being used up much more quickly than they can ever be
replaced.
Current estimates suggest
that oil stocks might only last
another 60 years, and coal
and gas will run out within
150 years.

What is going to happen when

we run out of fossil fuels?

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Running out of fossil fuels

As fossil fuels begin to run out we will no longer be able to use

our existing technology, appliances or transport networks.

As petrol becomes more scarce its

price will rise. This in turn will
increase the cost of almost all
everyday goods and services, as
well as making oil-based products
more expensive to manufacture.

Most economists predict that unless

sustainable alterative fuel sources
are developed, lack of fossil fuels
could lead to economic depression,
mass unemployment and famine.

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Carbon footprint

The amount of carbon dioxide produced by carrying out

activities in everyday life is sometimes called our carbon
footprint.
Country CO2 emissions*
Here are the average
carbon footprints of USA 21
people in some Canada 20
different countries.
Australia 16
What do you notice UK 10
about the size of the China 4
CO2 emissions from Egypt 2
each country?
Bangladesh 0.3

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Reducing your carbon footprint

By reducing your carbon footprint you can help produce less

carbon dioxide, and reduce the demand for fossil fuels.

Why is it important to start reducing your carbon footprint now,

rather than in 50 years’ time?

What are some easy ways to reduce your carbon footprint?

 hang washing outside to dry rather than use a tumble dryer
 turn off lights, computers, etc, when not in use
 walk or ride a bicycle, rather than drive
 only run the dishwasher with a full load
 turn down the central heating by 1 °C.

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The greenhouse effect: summary

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What do chemists do?

Chemists carry out chemical reactions. Most of the time their

aim is to make new substances that can improve people’s lives.

Can you think of some examples of beneficial substances that

have been developed by chemists?

 medicines that prevent or cure diseases

 materials for smaller computer chips
 fertilizers that increase crop yield
 cosmetics, soaps and make-up
 anti-rust paint
 cleaner fuels.

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Careers in chemistry – fuel researcher

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Careers in chemistry

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