How do fossil fuels work?
Fossil fuels allow us to easily live with luxuries such as: electricity, heat, and transportation, among others. Fossil fuels are relatively inexpensive, which makes fuels for electricity, heating, and transportation available to a greater amount of people. Fossil fuels are also easily transported though various pipelines set up around the world, not to mention fossil fuels follow a straightforward combustion process.
Fuel + Oxygen —> Heat + Water + Carbon Dioxide + Nitrogen
A good way to compare various fuels is through their heats of combustion: the best fuel has the highest heat of combustion. Fossil fuels yield the most energy per unit of mass in comparison to other sources of energy, as seen in the “Heat of Combustion” table below.
Fuel KJ/g
Municipal Waste -12.7
Cellulose -17.5
Pinewood -21.2
Methanol -22.7
Bituminous coal -28.3
Isooctane (component of gasoline)-47.8
Natural gas -49.5
Fossil Fuels made out of?
Oil: Commonly referred to as petroleum, oil is made up of various hydrocarbons. The major classes of hydrocarbons in petroleum are:
- Paraffins- (CnH2n+2) where “n” is a whole number between 1-20. ex. Methane (CH4), ethane (C2H6), and propane (C3H8)
- Aromatics- (C6H5 – Y) where “Y” is a longer, straight molecule that connects to the benzene ring. ex. Benzene (C6H6)
- Napthenes or Cycloalkanes- (CnH2n) where “n” is a whole number between 1-20. ex. Cyclohexane (C6H12)
Natural Gas: Natural gas is comprised mainly of the following carbon-hydrogen compounds:
- Methane (CH4)
- Ethane (C2H6)
- Propane (C3H8)
- Butane (C4H10).
Coal: Coal is comprised of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur, and/or oxygen. The chemical formula for coal depends upon where it is mined but is mainly:
- 90% carbon
- And the remaining elements are Hydrogen (H2), Nitrogen (N2), Sulfur (S), and Oxygen (O2)
- i.e. C10H2
Fossil Fuels are used to:
Providing Electricity: One of the main uses of fossil fuels is to provide electricity. Of the three fossil fuels, coal is the top fuel source used in creating electricity. Around 100 billion tons of coal is burned yearly to generate electricity in the United States.
For Heating and Cooling: Natural gas and oil are the main fossil fuel contributors when it comes to heating and cooling. To create a comfortable climate in your home these two fossil fuels are burnt, therefore releasing energy, and powering up your air conditioner or stove.
For Fueling Transportation: Oil is primarily responsible for fueling our automobiles, airplanes, buses, trucks, and boats. It is mainly used in the form of gasoline and diesel to power such vehicles. It is has been estimated that about 98 tons of plant material from the prehistoric times is required to produce one gallon of gasoline for our gas powered vehicles.
