 Winter 2008 |
As winter approaches here in the US, many people are breathing a major sigh of relief. Just three short months ago, the price of crude oil was at historic highs.
Americans first felt the impact of high oil prices to their wallets in the price of gasoline. As the price of gas rose, people began to drive fewer miles in order to budget appropriately.
Looming in the distance, however, is the winter season.
 Natural Gas |
Millions of years ago, the remains of plants and animals decayed and built up in thick layers. This decayed matter from plants and animals is called organic material — it was once alive. Over time, the mud and soil changed to rock, covered the organic material and trapped it beneath the rock.
Pressure and heat changed some of this organic material into coal, some into oil (petroleum), and some into natural gas — tiny bubbles of odorless gas. The main ingredient in natural gas is methane, a gas (or compound) composed of one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms.
In some places, gas escapes from small gaps in the rocks into the air; then, if there is enough activation energy from lightning or a fire, it burns. When people first saw the flames, they experimented with them and learned they could use them for heat and light.
