What is a fossil?

1. Organisms die

2. Their remains were covered with sand, soil, and other sediments.

3. These sediments harden over and around the organism’s remains.

• A fossil is the remains or traces of a once-living organism in rock or soil.

How are fossils formed?

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• Fossils give clues about organisms that lived long ago. They help to show that evolution has occurred.

• They also provide evidence about how Earth’s surface has changed over time.

• Fossils help scientists understand what past environments may have been like.

What do fossils tell us?

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Fossil Fuels

• A fossil fuel is a material that formed from the decay of ancient organisms and is used today as a source of energy.

• Example of fossil fuels are oil, gas, and coal,

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How Coal is Formed1. Plants or organisms die

2. Sediment or dirt build up on top of the organisms

3. Pressure from the layers of sediment pressed the organisms to form peat

4. The peat hardened and turned into sedimentary rock called Bituminous coal or soft coal.

5. The peat that was buried deeper was changed in metamorphic rock Anthracite coal or hard coal.

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How oil and gas are formed1. Decay organisms are buried deep under the

ocean floor

1. Heat, weight of rock, and bacteria turn decayed organisms into oil and natural gas

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How old are fossils and fossil fuels?Law of Superposition- each layer of rock is older

than the layer above it

Relative Age- is how old one rock is compared to another rock

Absolute Age-the age of a fossil in years

Era- is a unit of time measured in millions of years

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ContinuedGeological Period- divides an era into a smaller

amount of time

1. Paleozoic- age of ancient life (most ancient)

2. Mesozoic- age of reptiles (dinosaurs)

3. Cenozoic- age of dominant mammals

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Alternate Energy Source

Alternate Energy Source- any source of energy other than fossil fuels

This includes wind, moving water, and solar energy or energy from the Sun

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Energy from WindA. Wind moves the blades on a wind mill

B. Which turns gears and shafts to turn electric generators

C. Parts of the generator move and produce electricity

Positives: Doesn’t waste fossil fuels

Doesn’t pollute the air

Negatives: Need wind at all times

Interferes with migrating birds

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Energy from Moving WaterTwo things that are produced from moving water

A) Grind Wheat

1. Running water or falling water turns a wheel that moves an axle

2. The axle moves two large stones

3. Grain is put between the stones and ground into powder

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Energy from Moving Water

ContinuedB) Producing Electricity

1. Falling or flowing water spins a generator

2. Which produces electricity

Positives: does not pollute

Negative:need moving water

Effects animals that live in water

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Solar EnergyHow are light and heat from the sun turned into

energy?

A. Solar cells turn sunlight that strike the solar cells into electricity

B. Solar energy also heats homes using solar panels

Positive: will not run out

Negatives: does not pollute

needs areas that are cloud free

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Nuclear EnergyA. Atoms of one element change into atoms of

other elements

B. The change occurs in the nucleus, or the center of them atom

C. When the change occurs great energy is given off.

D. This energy is called nuclear energy.

E. The heat from the element change makes steam.

F. The steam moves parts of an electric generator providing electricity.

Positives: does not pollute the environment

less expensive than electricity made by burning fossil fuels

Negatives: accidents can occur that pollute the air with radioactive material

Nuclear Energy Contd

Geothermal Energy- energy that is produced from inside the earth

A. causes hot springs and volcanoes

B. steam from hot springs can be piped to machines

C. The machines spin generators

D. The generators produce electricity

Negatives: have to be tapped from underground

Only a few places on earth are located where this kind of energy is easy to reach.

Geothermal Energy

Biomass- made up of materials from living things

A. wood

B. animal waster

C. plant material (ex: corn)

Positive: tree and crops are renewable resources

Negatives: Does not release as much energy as burning fossil fuels.

Growing plants for fuel decreases the amount of land available for crops.

Biomass

1. Turn off lights and electronic equipment.

2. Limit your use of hot water.

3.Carpool

4. Turn your heat and air conditioner down.

Conserve Energy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMOpMka6PJI&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active