Class 8 Science – Chapter 5

Coal and Petroleum

🔹 Introduction

Coal and petroleum are very important natural resources. They are used to produce energy, which is required for cooking, transportation, industries, and electricity generation.

🔹 Natural Resources

Natural resources are substances obtained from nature and used by humans for various purposes.

• Exhaustible Natural Resources: Resources that are present in limited quantity and can be exhausted.
  Examples: Coal, Petroleum, Natural Gas
• Inexhaustible Natural Resources: Resources that are available in unlimited quantity.
  Examples: Air, Sunlight, Wind

🔹 Fossil Fuels

Fossil fuels are fuels formed from the remains of dead plants and animals buried under the earth millions of years ago.

Main Fossil Fuels:

• Coal
• Petroleum
• Natural Gas

🔹 Why Fossil Fuels are Limited?

Fossil fuels take millions of years to form. Since they are being used very fast, they may get exhausted in the future. Hence, they are called non-renewable resources.