4.7 - Fossil Fuels & Nuclear Energy
Fossil fuels and nuclear fuel are non-renewable
- Non-renewable energy resources are used up far faster than nature can replace them, so they'll eventually run out.
- There are two kinds: fossil fuels and nuclear fuel.
Fossil fuels
- The three main fossil fuels are coal, oil, and (natural) gas.
- They formed underground over millions of years from the buried remains of living things.
- They're burnt to release the energy they hold.
Nuclear fuels
- The nuclear fuels are uranium and plutonium.
- Their energy is released by a nuclear reaction rather than by burning.
Shared features
- They're reliable sources of energy.
- They'll all run out one day.
- They damage the environment when used.
TermDefinition
Non-renewable energy resourceAn energy resource that is used up faster than it can be replaced, so it will eventually run out.
Fossil fuelA store of carbon formed over millions of years from dead organisms buried without oxygen. Coal, oil and natural gas are fossil fuels.
Key points to remember
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