The sun is the ultimate source of energy in fossil fuels. Comment on this statement.
Solar Energy: Solar energy is the ultimate energy source in fossil fuels. Plants absorb the Sun's energy through photosynthesis when they are alive, and the animals that eat them get the energy from plants. This energy stays trapped in them for millions of years and gets converted into fuel.
Fossil Fuels: Fossil fuels are formed when animals or plants, or any organic matter are buried inside the Earth for a very long time under particular pressure. Thus, the formation of methane, petroleum, etc., ultimately happens through the energy obtained from the Sun.
Explanation: Though fossil fuels produce a lot of harmful gases on burning, we cannot stop their use altogether. The amount of energy produced by fossil fuels is tremendous compared to other alternatives. But many works are going on to either make them non-harmful or find some alternative that could match their efficiency.
The most common fuels are coal, crude oil and natural gas. They all take thousands of years to be formed.