8th Natural Resources (C18) Practice Test

Fossil fuels are energy sources formed from ancient organic matter—plants and microorganisms buried under layers of sediment and transformed by heat and pressure over millions of years. The classic examples are coal, oil, and natural gas. Solar energy and nuclear energy are not fossil fuels; solar comes from the sun, and nuclear energy comes from radioactive materials.

Natural gas fits the list of fossil fuels because it’s a hydrocarbon gas produced from buried organic material and used widely for heating and electricity. Like coal, it’s part of the trio of traditional fossil fuels. (Coal is also a fossil fuel, which is why you’ll see it listed as well in this category.)