Formation of Fossil Fuels

In addition to long periods of time, all of the following are necessary for the formation of fossil fuels EXECPT - 

• extreme heat
• organic (living) matter
• fresh water
• intense pressure

Coal often forms where once there were swamps.  What characteristic of swamps is important to the formation of coal?  

• high temperature
• abundant (large amounts) plant life
• frequent rains
• reptile predators  

What changes buried organic (living) matter into fossil fuels? 

• industrial pollution
• ocean currents
• volcanic activity
• heat and pressure

A student creates a model of the formation of fossil fuels by first placing layers of leaves, representing organic (living) matter, in the bottom of a cup.  What step will come next in the model?  

• Pouring water over the leaves to model washing away by rivers.  
• Adding sand on top of the leaves to model burial in sediments.  
• Burning the leaves in order to model the decay of organic matter.  
• Putting the leaves in a freezer to model conditions on top of mountains.  

Several layers of rock are illustrated.  They are in the same order as when they first formed.  Which layer formed first?  

• Rock Layer W
• Rock Layer X
• Rock Layer Y
• Rock Layer Z