What are “fossil fuels” and why are they called that?
The most common fossil fuels are coal, oil (also called petroleum) and natural gas. Some other fuels, like oil shale and peat (a very young form of coal), also are part of the fossil fuel family. These fuels were formed millions of years ago from plants and animals that died and decomposed beneath tons of soil and rock. At the same time (and for millions of years afterward), ancient plants and animals left their outlines in mud which later dried and solidified into rocks.
