Fossil Fuels Classification Table

Answer Key Name Date

Directions: Read the questions below before you begin your reading.
Underline or highlight information in your reading that will help you complete this table. Fill in the table to help you
summarize your findings.

What is it
made of? What are the
Where does environmental How do What are the What are the Where does the matter
Type of the matter How is it How is it impacts of the humans use benefits of environment and energy in this type of
Fossil Fuel and energy in formed? extracted? main this type of these uses? al impacts of fossil fuel end up after
this type of extraction fossil fuel? these uses? being used in this way?
fossil fuel method?
come from?
Algae and plants Organic Drilling vertical Oil spills on land Transportation Affordable Air pollution The matter often ends up as air
dating back material mixed wells or tar or in water from fuel, diesel energy, and climate pollution unless used for products
several million with other sands wells, generators, transportation change (in which case, it is in the
years sediments and extraction contaminated and many fuel, many product), while the energy is
was buried. water supplies products chemicals and used for generating electricity or
Over millions of from tar sands including medicines, powering car engines.
years under high extraction, contact lens, crucial items
pressure and surface habitat medicines, such as heart
high disturbance plastics, etc. valves, contact
temperature, lens, and
the remains of bandages
these organisms
transformed into
oil.
Petroleum

N ATG E O E D.O R G 1

 Million-year-old Over time, Surface or Surface habitat Fuel, electricity, Relatively Air pollution The matter ends up in particulate
algae and plants organic material underground disturbance or coke, and inexpensive to and climate air pollution and greenhouse gas
was buried and mining destruction, synthetic locate and change emissions unless used for
compressed. As water pollution products extract, source products (in which case, it is in
it shifts deeper from toxic coal of fuel, and the product). The energy
into the Earth, it tailings, used to make released is used for electricity
encounters waterways are steel and fuel.
Coal higher cut off or
temperatures contaminated by
and pressures. valley fill. Toxic
byproducts of the
mining and
explosive
processes also
pollute the air.

Million-year-old As the plants Drilling vertical Water Heating, Cleaner-burning Climate The matter ends up in particulate
algae and plants and algae wells into contamination cooling, fuel than coal or change air pollution and greenhouse gas
decompose, sedimentary and heavy water cooking, petroleum, less emissions unless used for
they are basins to pump use, can cause transportation expensive than products (in which case, it is in
covered by it out, hydraulic micro- fuels, waste using petroleum the product). The energy
layers of fracturing (also earthquakes treatment, for electricity released is used for heating,
sediment. Over known as when extracted food cooling, and transportation
millions of years, fracking), with fracking, processing, energy.
the organic horizontal land disturbance refining metals
matter is drilling, where drilling and petroleum,
compressed. As acidizing occurs powering
Natural it moves deeper home
Gas into the Earth, it appliances,
encounters generating
higher electricity via
temperatures. fuel cells
The compression
and high
temperatures
cause the
carbon bonds in
the organic
matter to break
down, thus
producing
thermogenic
methane—
natural gas.

N ATG E O E D.O R G 2