Burning fuels
Photograph of coal burning
We burn fuels such as coal to produce energy.
We burn fuels to produce energy. When these fuels burn, the atoms in the fuels combine with oxygen from the air to make new molecules.
Coal is made mainly of carbon. This burns to produce carbon dioxide.
Petrol, diesel fuel and fuel oil are hydrocarbons. Their molecules are made of carbon and hydrogen atoms. When these fuels burn, the carbon and hydrogen atoms combine with oxygen atoms to produce carbon dioxide and water vapour.