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A fuel is a substance which stores energy and then releases that energy to its surroundings, usually
when it it burned. Examples of fuels are wood, coal, petrol, diesel and ethanol. But, what is it about
fuels that allow this storage and release of energy, and what makes a fuel efficient and useful?
Oxygen is Required
Most fuels currently in use release their energy through a process called combustion. In this process
the fuel reacts with oxygen producing new compounds and releasing energy as heat. The energy is
released by the chemical reaction due to bonds being broken and other being formed.
Many fuels, especially fossil fuels, are hydrocarbons they are compounds of carbon and hydrogen
although some also contain some oxygen, like ethanol. When a hydrocarbon burns it reacts with
oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and water. For example, when methane (CH4) burns, each
molecule reacts with two molecules of oxygen to form one molecule of carbon dioxide and two
molecules of water.