Fossil fuels provide chemical energy for automobiles to move. Which energy form is this?

• A. Electrical energy
• B. Kinetic energy
• C. Fossil fuels provide chemical energy for automobiles to move
• D. Potential energy

Answer: (C)

Fossil fuels store chemical energy—the energy contained in the bonds of molecules. In an automobile, that chemical energy is released through combustion and transformed into heat, which powers the engine and ultimately turns into the mechanical work that moves the car. The light, moving car has kinetic energy, but the energy form described as coming from fossil fuels is chemical energy. Electrical energy would come from a battery or generator, not directly from burning fuel; kinetic energy is the energy of motion, which results after the energy is converted; potential energy is a broader category that includes chemical energy as a type of stored energy, but the specific form tied to fossil fuels is chemical energy.