Science Common Sense

645 - What are fossil fuels, and how do they relate to petroleum?

Fossil fuels are energy sources that come from plants and tiny animals that lived a long, long time ago (millions of years ago). When they died, they were buried under rocks and soil, and over time, they were squished and turned into fuels.

There are three main types of fossil fuels: coal, natural gas, and petroleum.

Petroleum is a type of fossil fuel that's liquid. It's also called "crude oil." It was formed from the remains of tiny plants and animals that lived in the ocean. When you extract petroleum from the ground, you can use it to make many things, like gasoline for cars, jet fuel, and even plastics.