Question

Name the products of combustion of fossil fuel like coal and petroleum. How do they affect our environment?

Answer 1

Fossil fuels belong to the class of materials that are made up of hydrocarbons. They originate from the biological compounds present in the earth's crust and can be used as the source of energy. Coal is a black or brownish-black colored sedimentary, combustible rock that is rich in carbon, sulfur, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. Petroleum is a naturally occurring liquid that is yellowish-black in color and is present beneath the Earth’s surface.

Complete answer:
Air pollution is caused due to the presence of harmful substances in the atmosphere that affects the health of humans, animals and also affect the climate. One of the main reasons for air pollution is the burning of fossil fuels like coal, petroleum, etc.
The fossil fuels are formed as a result of the accumulation of organisms, mainly plant materials, for a long period of time that results in the formation of materials such as coal. The plant materials are mainly made up of carbon, hence, the coal formed will also contain carbon in large amounts. If we burn coal, the oxygen in the atmosphere will combine with the carbon released from coal and releases carbon dioxide in large amounts. The rise in the amount of carbon dioxide will lead to an increase in the temperature of earth that results in the melting of glaciers. Incomplete combustion of coal releases harmful gas such as carbon monoxide (CO) which causes damage to the protective cover of the atmosphere. The oxides of sulfur and nitrogen released later combine with rainwater to form sulphuric acid and nitric acid and cause acid rain. The burning of petroleum releases a large amount of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, ozone and nitrous oxide. The increased amount of these gases in the atmosphere results in global warming and can lead to climate change, that overall affects a large amount of flora and fauna present on earth.

Note: Greenhouse gases such as methane, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxides are necessary to maintain the temperature on earth. They help to trap a certain amount of sunlight in the earth and thereby, keeps the earth's surface warm. But due to the combustion of large amounts of fossil fuel will increase the production of greenhouse gases and that will, in turn, increase the temperature on earth.