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Nonrenewable Energy Sources
There are two main types of nonrenewable energy sources: fossil fuels and nuclear energy.Fossil fuels
Formation
There are three main fossil fuels: oil, coal and natural gas. Fossil fuels are formed from the remains of plants that lived millions of years ago. They are made up of the elements carbon and hydrogen. Fossil fuels are "nonrenewable" energy sources because there are limited amounts of them.
Oil
Oil is formed from the remains of animals and plants that lived millions of years ago--even before the dinosaurs-- in marine (water) environments. Over the years, the remains piled up and were covered by thousands of layers of sand and silt. Heat and pressure from these layers helped the remains turn into crude oil or petroleum. The type and amount of oil produced depends on a number of factors. These include: the composition of source rock, the temperature applied to the source rock, and the length of time (measured in millions of years) this temperature acted upon the source rock.
Natural Gas
Natural gas is formed from the remains of plants and animals that decayed and built up in thick layers. Over time, the mud and soil changed to rock, covered the remains and trapped it beneath the rock. Pressure and heat changed some of this organic material into natural gas. The main ingredient in natural gas is methane, a compound gas composed of one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms.
Coal
Coal is formed from the dead remains of swamp plants. The plant matter in some swamps has accumulated over millions of years. After the plants died, they were buried under soil. Under intense heat and pressure, the remains were transformed into coal.Nuclear energy
