Fossil Fuels

The EU spent €55bn on fossil fuel subsidies in 2016, with the UK contributing €12bn

Describe how fossil fuels form.

57 Responses

  1. Iris says:

    I’m pretty sure that fossil fuels form when layers of the earth settle on top of ancient organic matter. The weight compresses the matter into oil and gas.

    • Iris says:

      Fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas are formed when natural organisms like plants and small animals are compacted and pressurized by layers of sediment that settle on top of them. Fossil fuels are a non-renewable resource, meaning that they cannot be replenished. This is because it takes around 300 million years for organisms to turn into fossil fuels, meaning our supply could never be replenished. Mining for fossil fuels can harm ecosystems and kill animal life. Fossil fuels also emit CO2, a greenhouse gas, when burned so they are also incredibly bad for the environment.

  2. Kael says:

    I guess I’m not too sure about the process of how they’re formed, but I’m pretty sure it’s when underground natural gasses or carbon get so compacted over time, it eventually forms fossil fuels like oil and coal.

    • Kael says:

      Depending on the fossil fuel, whether it be coal, natural gas, oil, or otherwise, they go through a process that does vary among the types of fossil fuels, however not much. The main ingredients in this process are heat, time, pressure, and dead organisms. The type of organism depends on the fossil fuel being made. For coal, plants die and then turn into peat under the ground, and over about 300 million years, the peat is compacted into coal. For oil and natural gas, a similar process occurs but it takes place in oceans. Small organisms like plankton die and decompose. It is then compacted under the ground with heat and also takes hundreds of millions of years to form. For natural gas, it’s the same process, but with more pressure and heat.

  3. Laurel says:

    I think that fossil fuels form from things in the ground, like some type of ore. They could also be formed from fossils or bones from the ground.

    • Laurel says:

      Fossil fuels are made in a few different ways. The first fossil fuel, coal, is made from dead plants and heat and pressure. The next one, oil, is made from dead organisms, like animals, and lots of time and pressure. The last fossil fuel, natural gas is also made form dead organisms, and more heat and pressure.

  4. Wayne S. says:

    I don’t exactly know how fossil fuels “form” unless you are talking about greenhouse gases that come from burning fossil fuels. But if you are talking about how gas, coal, etc and that forms then this is the best answer I have.

    • Wayne says:

      Fossil Fuels are made up of 3 things: coal, oil, and natural gas.
      They were formed about 360 million years ago before the time of the dinosaurs.
      The things needed to make fossil fuels are organic matter, the right temperature, pressure and time for it to condense into fossil fuels.
      Fossil fuels require a certain type of things for them to be made into fossil fuels.
      For coal, you need plants and such, pressure, and heat.
      The process for oil and natural gas is the same but different setup.
      For coal and natural gas to form you need pressure and time and also dead organisms. But for natural gas, you need more pressure and heat.

  5. Aaliyah says:

    Heads up, I never heard of fossil fuels like ever in my life. But how they form? Maybe they form from natural progress from dead organisms fossils. It has the word fossil, so I’m wondering if it is from dead organism bodies.

  6. Emiliano says:

    I know fossil fuels are made of dead organic matter that has been smushed over time into what is called fossil fuels.

  7. Alexis says:

    I think fossil fuels are underground and they are types of bones.

    • Alexis says:

      Four things that were required for fossil fuels to form are organic matter, temperature, time and pressure condition. The 3 types of fossil fuels are coal, oil and natural gas. Fossil fuels are non-renewable because they take millions of years to form.

  8. Madison says:

    They are formed by a dead animal or something and then their bones can be found in the ground. Just like how dinosaurs were found, they die and then their bones can get buried by anything and then years later can be found.

  9. Kirsten says:

    Fossil fuels come from the ground and make coal and oil. The coal and oil are formed by getting compressed by the layers of the earth.

    • Kirsten says:

      Fossil fuels are formed by organic matter, temperature, time, and pressure conditions. There are three types of fossil fuels and they are coal, oil, and natural gas. Fossil fuels also emit CO2 into the atmosphere. CO2 stays in the atmosphere for 100 years and one-quarter of that CO2 is absorbed by the oceans.

  10. M.A.M says:

    Fossil fuels are formed by nature and are bones. They have been here since the dinosaurs have been and they are old. The bones are evidence that there was life before us.

  11. Barbara says:

    I’m not sure about this one but I’m fairly certain they are formed by something the ground does overtime, maybe with some sort of mineral in the ground and it is being compressed together.

    • Barbara says:

      There are also three types of fossil fuels, coal, oil, and natural gas. Fossil fuels take 300million years to form. When plants and animals die they sink to the bottom of swamps and oceans and over hundreds of millions of years they start decomposing and compacting together. Four things required for fossil fuels to form are organic matter, temperature, time, and pressure conditions. The first stage the dead plant becomes is called “peat” then overtime the pressure and high heat compact it down over time and eventually form fossil fuels.

  12. ethan says:

    Fossil Fuels are gases made of dead animals from many years ago.

  13. Dennis says:

    I’m pretty sure that fossil fuels form when animals die and when their fossil decomposes I think it makes usable fuel.

  14. Xander says:

    Some fossil fuels are oil, coal, etc. I think they are minerals that turn into fossil fuels over long periods of time. Gases might contribute to the making of fossil fuels.

    • Xander says:

      Fossil Fuels form after millions of years of being compressed from heat and pressure. Fossils are dead organisms that decomposed into the soil. The pressure and heat on ferns, plants, and trees make coal. Pressure and time on small organisms make oil. Also, More pressure and heat than what is made to make coal and it makes natural gas.

  15. oliver says:

    I think fossil fuels happen when organic matter is compressed for a very long time. Like a long time.

    • oliver says:

      So like 300 million years ago some plants died. Then they got buried under dirt or sand. And that just kept going for a bit. Till it became peat. That’s just baby coal. Over time it gets more pressure and hotter. Then it turns to coal. But oil and natural gas need animals (small animals) to become themselves. But natural gas needs more than oil.

  16. Alexis D says:

    I think that fossil fuels are something that is underground and are a type of minerals that we use.

  17. Cecelia says:

    I know some fossil fuels include substances like coal and types of natural gases, and I believe they form in the Earth over a long period of time. I also know that we as humans are burning too much fossil fuels and it is hurting our planet.

    • Cecelia says:

      There are three types of fossil fuels, coal, oil, and natural gas. These fuels are formed by four things: organic matter, temperature, time and pressure conditions. It can take around 286-360 million years for fossil fuels to form. Fossil fuels make many things like cosmetics, medicines and most of all plastics. When fossil fuels are burned, it emits carbon dioxide to the atmosphere causing climate change which is a big problem our planet has. It takes CO2 about 100 years to stay in the atmosphere and about one-quarter of the CO2 released is absorbed into the ocean. We should definitely cut down on the burning of fossil fuels because it is hurting our planet.

  18. marquis says:

    Fossil fuels are made of petroleum, coal, and natural gas. Different minerals make fossil fuels. Some are formed by the remains of organisms.

  19. Sami says:

    Probably because of the pressure as you get deeper and deeper into the ground and all of the stuff just like combines together.

    • Sami says:

      Fossil fuels form from organic matter, hot temperatures, time (millions of years), and pressure. There are three types of fossil fuels coal, oil, and natural gas, Which is how we get energy, heat, and things like plastics and cosmetics. When fossil fuels are used they emit greenhouse gasses such as Carbon dioxide into the atmosphere which causes climate change. Also when we run out of fossil fuels we will most likely never see them again because they take millions of years to form. And they also might not form because when they were originally forming the temperature of the earth was a more tropical and humid climate (the climate has to be just right for them to form), and other things can cause fossil fuels not to form. Coal is made from dead organisms going into swamps then the dead things turn into peat, then they are slowly buried by more materials, and after millions of years coal forms! Oil and natural gas are formed basically by the same things except it starts in water.

  20. diane says:

    I know that fossil fuels form when animals die and when their fossils decompose it I’m pretty sure that it makes some kind of usable fuel.

    • diane says:

      I know that fossil fuels were formed 286 to 360 million years ago. The plants and animals go to the bottom of the swamp when they die. A few things that are made from fossil fuels are medicine, energy, and cosmetics. A few things that are required in order for fossils to form are temperature, organic matter, pressure conditions, and time. The three types of fossil fuels are coal, oil, and natural gas.

  21. mason says:

    They are formed by gasses underground that get really compacted and turns into fossil fuel. Also when animals die their bones are left behind and over time the bones turn into fossil fuels.

    • mason says:

      Fossil fuels are formed by organic matter such as dead plants, warm temperatures, time, and pressure conditions. Also by they are turned into peat and after a while, more and more layers will form over the peat and that layer of peat will get smashed into coal. Some fossil fuels like oil and natural gas were formed by microscopic algae.

  22. caitlin says:

    I think fossil fuels are different gases and oils that people/big companies use to make things.

  23. Benjamin says:

    I’m pretty sure fossil fuels are formed from dead humans and animals or organic material that decomposes turning it into useable energy, some fossil fuels are coal that comes from the ground, and gasoline that’s made from oil or crude petroleum.

  24. Jada says:

    I think that they come naturally from Earth and are not made by humans. They might be made in the ground tho.

    • Jada says:

      Fossil fuels form from organic matter, high temperatures, time, and pressure conditions. It takes about 300 million years to replenish fossil fuels and that is why they are described as non-renewable resources. When a plant or animal dies, they sink down to the bottom of a swamp or body of water and for millions of years, they decompose and are compacted together to make coal, oil, and natural gas.

  25. Hattie says:

    I think that fossil fuels are made by taking fossils and slowly turning them into different fuel sources that are reusable.

    • Hattie says:

      Fossil fuels were formed by dead plants and animals that sank to the bottom of swamps and the ground. Four things needed to make fossil fuels are organic matter, temperature, time, and pressure changes. The main three types of fossil fuels include coal, oil, and natural gas. Coal is formed by ferns, plants, and trees plus pressure and heat. Oil is made by small organisms plus pressure. And natural gas is formed by small organisms plus even more pressure and heat.

  26. Vincent S. says:

    I really don’t know how Fossil Fuels are formed.

    • Vincent S. says:

      Fossil fuels are made from organic matter that is under heat and pressure for millions of years.
      Organic matter becomes peat and peat becomes fossil fuels.

  27. Matt says:

    From what I know fossil fuels are formed but I do know it is from being underground and the pressure build-up compacts it into fossil fuels like oil.

  28. Caiden says:

    I think fossil fuels are dead animals that dissolve into bones and dries up and turns into fossil fuel.

    I don’t know?

    • Caiden says:

      Fossil fuels were formed 360 to 286 years ago and they were formed with four things, Organic matter, Temperature, Time, And Pressure conditions. There are three types of fossil fuels, Coal, Oil, And Natural gas.

  29. cam says:

    I don’t know much about this but I do know that there made of dead plants and animals and they turn into fossil fuels like coal and other fossil fuels

    • cam says:

      Around 360 million years ago animals died and sunk to bottoms of swamps. Then, as more stuff got on top of the high heat and pressure, got on top of them crushing them. 300 million years later they turned in to Oil, Coal, and Natural Gas. The things required to make fossil fuels are organic matter, high-temperature, lots of time, and pressure.

  30. Madison says:

    Fossil Fuels formed 360 to 286 million years ago by dead organisms. Then they sink into the bottom or get buried by something. They have formed by organic matter, temperature, time, and pressure conditions.

  31. logan says:

    Fossils were formed 360 to 286 million years ago and the animals go to the bottom of ponds and lakes and they decompose over millions of years under the sand. The four things that are required are organic matter, temp, time pressure conditions. The three types of fossil fuels are coal, oil, and natural gas. Fossil fuels can make plastics and some medicines. It takes millions of years to reform and when they burn fossil fuels there is co2 that gets released into the atmosphere and it makes climate change.

  32. M.A.M says:

    Fossil fuels are made up of small dead organisms and are made into coal, oil, and natural gas. Four things that are required in order for fossil fuels to form are organic matter, temperature and time, and the pressure conditions. The first form that the dead plants become is swamps and turns into peat. Some and most organisms that die go to the bottom of the ocean and get buried.

  33. Lucas says:

    Fossil fuels have an enormous impact on global warming, in fact, they’re the main reason we have global warming. Fossil fuels are coal, natural gas, and oil and This is how they are made. Coal is made from plants dying and getting buried and sinking down really far and then they get compressed and heated up a lot. Oil is formed the same as coal except instead of plants sinking it’s the organisms that die and sink and then they get compressed and heated up. The way natural gas is formed is the oil gets heated up more and more with more compression.

  34. ethan says:

    Fossil Fuels are formed from dead organisms such as plants or other types of animals from millions of years ago and eventually got so compacted down that they started to form into fossil fuels such as oil and coal.

  35. Mandi says:

    Back then plants and animals got buried under dirt and swamps and not having any air, or oxygen, didn’t decompose and then turned into fossil fuels. To make coal you need trees and plants. Oil is made algae and zooplankton, natural gas is made in the ocean by dead plants and animals by heat and pressure over the years.

  36. Dakota UP says:

    Fossil fuels start out as dead organisms such as plants and animals, over time these dead organisms fossilize and compact, they need water pressure heat and time. It takes around 300 million years for fossil fuels to form. Humans use fossil fuels for transportation, heat and many other things. When fossil fuels are burned they release lots of corban dioxide into the atmosphere.

  37. Matt says:

    Oil, coal, and natural gas make up fossil fuels. It takes 286 to 360 million years for fossil fuels to form. Fossil fuels form from organic matter, the right temperature, time and pressure condition. Today we are using fossil fuels for transportation, making plastic, prosthetics, making medication, and energy, When we burn fossil fuels, it emits CO2 or carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which holds heat in from the sun and causes climate change. And a quarter of the CO2 gets absorbed by the ocean. CO2 makes the ocean more acidic, so wildlife has to move, adapt, or can die. And CO2 stays in the atmosphere for around 100 years. But one good thing is CO2 that enters the atmosphere keeps us warm.

  38. Cy says:

    So there are three different types of fossil fuels, coal, oil, and natural gas. They are formed by heat and pressure on trees and small organisms. But don’t be fooled, this is not a quick and easy process, fossil fuels take millions of years to form. But once they are formed and we have them, we make things with them such as plastics, cosmetology products, and even some medicines.

  39. jeffrey says:

    Coal comes from dead plants from swamps that overtime is barred under layers of earth and with pressure and heat becomes peat, and with the more pressure and heat over time turns peat to coal. the oil comes from small dead organisms and small fish in swamps that get covered in layers over time and if the pressure and heat are right then over time it will turn to oil, and the same goes to natural gas but with more heat, pressure and time.

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