Lesson 2 Activity 5 Follow the Carbon How

Lesson 2 Activity 5: Follow the Carbon How did fossil fuels form? 1

PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS FORMATION 2

Coal Formation 3

2. Photosynthesis – 300 million years ago Light energy = Light Energy = Carbon (inorganic) CO 2 Light energy and CO 2 are sequestered in the biomass pool. This takes carbon out of the atmosphere pool and puts it into the biomass pool. 4

2. Compression – 300 million years ago until now = Chemical Energy = Carbon (organic) Chemical energy and carbon in the biomass are exposed to heat and pressure underground. This changes the matter and energy in the biomass pool into fossil fuels. 5

3. Extraction– today = Chemical Energy = Carbon (organic) Today, fossil fuels are extracted from underground. They are burned at power plants, in 6 our homes and buildings, and in our cars, trucks, airplanes, and boats.

4. Energy flows: from chemical to heat energy = Heat Energy When fossil fuels are burned, energy is changed from chemical energy to heat energy and released into the atmosphere. Once it is released, it cannot be used again (energy flows!). Some of this energy radiates into outer space. Some of it is trapped in the greenhouse gases, causing the climate to change.

5. Carbon cycles: from fossil fuels to atmosphere = Carbon (inorganic) When fossil fuels are burned, carbon in the fossil fuel molecules is transformed to CO 2. This is released into the atmosphere pool. This increases the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

How do humans use fossil fuels, and when did we begin using them? 1750 -1850. When the industrial revolution began, we started using 300 million year old fossil fuels to provide energy to power our factories and machines. Changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation and technology all lead to an increase in fossil fuel use. 9

How do humans use fossil fuels, and when did we begin using them? Today, we continue to burn fossil fuels to power our industries and support our lifestyles. This means that we are continuously moving 300 million year old carbon from the fossil fuel pool to the atmosphere pool. 10