Question

All of the following are the examples of fossil fuels except:
A) Petroleum
B) Coal
C) Natural gas
D) Charcoal

Answer 1

Hint: Fossil fuels are the fuels that are obtained by the natural processes. The organic living matter is buried under the organic mud, wetland, or at sea bottom. The pressure and the temperature convert the living matter into fossil fuels. The fossil fuels can be obtained in for of liquid, solid, or gases.

Complete step by step answer:
Fossil fuels are the natural sources of energy. The living matter like animals and plants were buried under the thousands layers of soil, organic mud. The pressure exerted by the sediments compresses the living matter into fossil fuels.
The different type of fossils are listed below:

A) Petroleum:
Petroleum is a clear, oily liquid. It has a strange smell and it is generally obtained as the mixture of petroleum gas, diesel, paraffin wax, petrol, etc. It is termed as the “black gold”.
Petroleum is formed from the sea animals and plants which die. The petroleum is obtained from the sea bottom. These layers of organic substances are compressed by the sand and clay. The pressure and temperature convert the sea animals and plants into petroleum.
It is used to power the automobiles and the combustion engines. It has an industrial application for the manufacturing of detergents, plastics, polyethylene, etc.

B) Coal:
Coal is a hard, black coloured substance and it is made up of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and sulphur. The major type of coals is anthracite, lignite and bituminous. The coal is processed down to obtain coal tar, coke and coal gas.
Coal is obtained by the process of coalification. Million years ago, the dense forest in the wetland gets buried in the earth. The soil kept depositing on the living matter and got compressed. They experience the high pressure and temperature and as result slowly convert to the coal.
The coal is used to generate electricity, it is used as the fuel .Earlier it was used to produce the steam in railways engines.

C) Natural gas:
Natural gas is a clean and non-toxic fossil fuel. Natural gas is stored as compressed natural gas (CNG) .it is less expensive and less polluting fuels.
The zooplankton and phytoplankton sink to the bottom of the sea and mix with the organic material to form an organic-rich mud. These organic mud is buried under the sea sediments. The sediments prevent the exposure to the oxygen and protect the organic material from being decomposed by the bacteria. The pressure and temperature convert the organic mud into the waxy material known as the kerogen. On heating, the kerogen is converted into natural gas.
Natural gas is used for generating power. It is used as fuel in automobiles. It is widely used for cooking purposes.
Charcoal is not a fossil fuel. Charcoal is obtained by the burning of wood. The fossil indicates that the substance has been sitting on the earth for a long time. Wood is not considered as a fossil fuel.
Therefore, the charcoal is not a fossil fuel.
So, the correct answer is “Option D”.

Note: Fossil fuels are considered as non-renewable sources of energy. These are limited to sources. They cannot be prepared in the laboratories as the preparation takes millions of years and specific temperature and pressure conditions. Fossil fuels emit carbon dioxide and the primary source of pollution.