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Identification
Fossil fuels are made from the fossilized remains of plants and animals that lived over 200 million years ago. Located far below the earth's surface, these remains have decayed to the point where only their basic elemental materials are left. Carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen are the basic elements contained in the fuels we use to power electrical plants, heat homes, and fuel cars. What makes these materials so suitable as fuel sources is the energy they produce when burned. This is called the combustion process. Through it, the chemical energies contained inside these materials are released.
Function
Drilling and refining methods are used in the process of converting fossil materials to usable energy sources. The carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen contained inside these materials are held together by hydrocarbon bonds. Before energy can be accessed, the hydrocarbons have to be separated out. This is called fractional distillation. It is a vaporization process that works to separate the different elements contained inside fossil materials. Once this is completed, the combustion process can begin. The combustion process uses heat and oxygen to break down the hydrocarbon bonds. Once broken, the heat energy contained inside them is released.
Types
The advantages of using fossil fuels can be seen in the multi-purpose applications present within our everyday lives. Gasoline, diesel fuel and jet fuel are put to use by specialized combustion engines designed specifically for fuel usage. Another use for the heat energy generated by fossil fuels is to power our electrical plants. As these fuels are capable of producing tremendous amounts of heat, this heat can be used to conduct electricity. How this works is, the more heat that's applied to electrons, the more energy they conduct. Fossil fuels are burned to provide the heat for this process.
Natural gas is yet another energy source provided by fossil fuels. Natural gas is made from methane, which is one of the hydrocarbon-types found in fossil materials. It's the cleanest, most abundant source of all. Natural gas is used residential heating, electric power, vehicle fuel, pipeline fuel, and industrial operations.
Effects
Coal power plants account for 60 percent of our national energy needs. As a fossil material, coal is a sedimentary rock formation that can be used, as is, in the combustion process. Power plants convert the heat from this combustion process into mechanical energy by using large amounts of heat to convert water into steam. Steam turbines then work as the heat transfer agents which provide electrons with the energy needed to produce electricity. Clean coal technology is a new process being developed to reduce the high carbon emissions produced when coal is burned. As coal is made up of carbon, hydrogen, sulfur and other elements, this technology looks to eliminate adverse elements like sulfur, from the combustion process.
Warning
The advantages of using fossil fuels to meet our energy needs, are many--however, excessive use poses serious dangers to our environment, and our overall health. Carbon dioxide emissions are by-products that result from burning coal, petroleum and natural gas fuels. These emissions are made up of small particles which contain toxins, metals and pollutants. The size of these particles is what makes them a danger. They are easily inhaled, which means a person's lungs and bloodstream are subject to their effects. The increases in allergies and respiratory disorders are attributed to the presence of these particles in the air. Effects had to the environment include an increase in greenhouse gases that give rise to global warming. Statistics from the World Health Organization report as many as one million deaths have occurred as a result of global warming since the year 2000.