Importance in Daily Life

• Fossil fuels 


  • are formed from the remains of plants and animals buried in the ground
  • E.g. Crude oil and natural gas
  • Crude oil and natural gas are non-renewable sources of energy as they cannot be replenished at the same rate at which they are used
• Crude Oil


  • Made up of different hydrocarbons
  • Hydrocarbons are compounds made up of carbon and hydrogen
  • also known as petroleum
  • 90% of fractions used as fuel for generating electricity in vehicles, homes and industries
  • Finite resource, limited supply
• Natural Gas


  • contains mainly methane gas (CH4)
• Crude Oil Fractionating Column

  From top to bottom

  • petroleum gas (fuel for heating and cooking)
  • petrol (fuel for vehicle)
  • naphtha (feedstock for making petrochemicals such as plastics and detergents)
  • kerosene (fuel for aircrafts, engines, cooking and heating)
  • diesel oil (fuel for diesel engines in buses, lorries and trains)
  • Lubricating oil (for lubricating machines and making waxes and polishes)
  • bitumen (for making road surfaces and roofing)