Nonrenewable Energy Resources - Timko

Coal

A combustible rock formed from the remains of plants that were buried and exposed to intense heat and pressure for millions of years, found mainly in underground deposits and widely used as fuel.

Commercial energy

Energy that is sold in the marketplace.

Fossil fuels

Coal, oil, natural gas, and other fuels that are made from the ancient remains of plants and animals.

Nuclear fission

The splitting of an atom's nucleus into two nuclei, which releases a great deal of energy.

Crude oil

Liquid petroleum; a mixture of hydrocarbons and other compounds.

Refining

Process of heating crude oil to separate it into various fuels and other components with different boiling points.

Petrochemicals

Raw materials obtained by refining crude oil. They are used to make other products, like industrial chemicals, fertilizers, pesticides, plastics, synthetic fibers, paints, medicines, and many other products.

Hydraulic fracturing

Chemically treating water and sand under high pressure to fracture rocks in order to pump out the natural gas held inside them.

Fracking

Another term used for hydraulic fracturing, the method of obtaining natural gas from underground deposits.

Net energy

Total amount of useful energy available from an energy resource, minus the amount of energy used, wasted (2nd Law of Thermodynamics), and spent in finding, processing, concentrating, and transporting it to users.

Nuclear fusion

A reaction that occurs when lighter nuclei are forced together to produce heavier nuclei, releasing energy in the process.