How are fossil fuels converted into energy?

Answer 1

Fossils are the remains of ancient life on earth that have been turned into rock.

In the case of fossil fuels this ancient life was plant based (trees for coal and phytoplankton for oil) that became trapped in the sediments as they were formed and squeezed and heated to transform them in to the carbon and hydrocarbon fuels that we now use for energy.

The energy that is released when fossil fuels burn is ancient sunlight trapped by the plants when they were living and growing on earth all those millions of years ago.

Answer 2

They don't technically produce energy. The energy is already there tied up in chemical bonds. Burning, combining with oxygen, breaks the old bonds forming new bonds with less energy. The extra energy is released as heat or light, or even mechanical energy by expansion of hot gases when the expansion takes place in a closed space like the cylinder of a car.

A:You burn coal, oil or gas and you have a water tank above it, the water starts to boil producing steam, the steam then travels through small pipes and powers a wheel etc.

Answer 3

Typically by burning them. Burning may take place in a jet turbine (for natural gas) or in a steam generator. The steam may be used for heating or industrial processes, or used to turn another type of turbine, which turns an electric generator.

Of course, the gasoline, kerosene and diesel fuel burned by vehicles is also a form of fossil fuel.

Answer 4

Fossil fuels are burned. The heat they produce is used to heat up water, which is turned into steam. The steam turns a turbine, which creates an electric current. This electric current can then be used by whoever.

Answer 5

There is a tremendous amount of potential energy contained in fossil fuels.

This energy is released as heat in a combustion reaction (exothermic reaction). The heat released can be used to heat air to drive pistons in an internal combustion engine or to heat air that warms your house in the winter.

It can also be used to heat water for household or industrial use. In the home, the hot water we use for bathing, etc. can be directly heated via a gas water heater. In industry, the gas can be used in Everything from heating water to firing ceramics.

To create electricity from fossil fuels, the fossil fuel releases heat when combusted, which heats water to steam form, which in turn can turn turbines that produce electricity.

Answer 6

Fossil fuels are produced when an animal or plant dies the animal goes into the earths crust and the energy in it's body over thousands of years turns into natural gas or fossil fuels.

Answer 7

By a chemical reaction with oxygen (burning) they produce heat, which is energy

Answer 8

Fossil fuel energy is produced by commbustion.