MODULE 3.

1: Fossil Fuels
MODULE DURATION: 5 DAYS DATE: SEPT. 28 – OCT. 2, 2020

In this lesson, you will learn about the various sources of energy that are tapped for human use. This
module focuses on fossil fuels as source of energy, how these are formed and extracted. This will also
tackle the uses, advantages and disadvantages of using such source of energy. Moreover,
environmental issues and concerns will be given emphasis at the end of this module. This module will
help you explore earth’s abundance in terms of energy resources, and how earth produces such energy
resource. You will discover and at the end infer why humans should preserve and conserve natural
resources, and the impact of using these resources to humans and the environment.
Learning Competency:
• Describe how fossil fuels are formed. S11ES-Id-10

Lecture:
Try to look at your surrounding? Do you know what they are made of? Look at the things inside
your home. Can you site the materials needed and where they came from? Everything comes from the
resources that the earth possesses. You may notice that most of the materials used in your home came
from abiotic resources, from your gadgets to your appliances. How about biotic resources? Is it only for
food and the uses of wood?
Let us dwell on the abiotic resources. Get ready to discover and be amazed on some of its
important uses of these resources.
Fossil fuels are source of energy derived from the fossilized remains of once living plants and
animals million years ago. Those remains of dead plants and animals long time ago were buried and
fossilized in the earth’s crust, thus these fuels are found beneath the earth’s surface. Since this fuel
originated from the remains of once living organisms, fossil fuels composed mainly of high content of
carbon and hydrogen, called hydrocarbons. Fossil fuels includes coal, oil (includes petroleum or
crude oil) and natural gas.

Coal is a type of fossil fuel that is non-renewable source of energy. It is a solid rock form of fossil
fuel that originated from the dead plant and animal matter that piled up in layers for over million years
ago. Its material is highly composed of carbon content.

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JOHN CLYDE M. RANCHEZ – Subject Teacher
 EARTH SCIENCE
Coal can be extracted using two
methods: surface mining and
underground mining. Surface mining,
also known as strip mining, involves the
removal of the entire layer of rock and
soil to access the coal deposit beneath
the surface. Underground mining involves
the usage of heavy machinery to cut coal from deep
underground deposits.

Oil / Crude oil or also known as Petroleum is another

type of fossil fuel that is non-renewable. It is a liquid type of
fossil fuel composed mostly of hydrocarbons. Like coal,
petroleum originates from the remains of living organisms.
Petroleum comes from
ancient marine
organisms like marine
plants, algae and
bacteria. This can be extracted by drilling on land or at sea. It
can also be extracted through strip mining in the case of tar
sands oil and oil shale. Once extracted, this oil will be
transported to refineries to transform oil into usable fuels like
propane, kerosene, gasoline and other fuel products. Also, it is
used in making plastic and paint products.
Natural gas is a type of fossil fuel that is odorless, colorless hydrocarbon gas. It made up of
hydrocarbon that is mostly methane (CH4). Natural gas, like other types of fossil fuels, is originated
from the remains of plants, animals, microorganisms that once lived millions of years ago. If a natural
gas is found in porous and permeable rock beds or mixed into oil
reservoirs which can be extracted through drilling, this is called
conventional natural gas. On the other hand, unconventional
natural gases are those that are too difficult or expensive to
extract and require a special stimulation technique like fracking.

References:
Book/s:
Refran, J., & Pamela Louise, M. T. (2016). Earth Science. Quezon City: Vibal Group, Inc.

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Sir John Clyde M. Ranchez