ABSTRACT
Fossil fuels are so called because they are derived from
biological materials trapped in the earth and transformed
over millennia into concentrated forms of energy. Fossil
fuels occur as petroleum (and the associated natural gas)
and mineral forms, primarily coal. Liquid and gaseous
forms derived from petroleum deposits are convenient for
compact, portable applications. Mineral forms require
more bulky conversion equipment and therefore are better
suited to transformation into electricity for distribution by
wire to stationary uses.
