Fossil fuels include which of the following?

• A. Any combustible material formed from fast-growing plants.
• B. Coal, oil, natural gas, and other fuels that are ancient remains of plants and animals.
• C. Nuclear materials.
• D. Only coal used for energy.

Answer: (B)

Fossil fuels come from ancient organic matter that was buried and transformed by heat and pressure over long geologic times to become energy sources like coal, oil, and natural gas. They are non-renewable because their formation takes millions of years, so we rely on what remains of these ancient plants and animals for energy today.

The best answer lists coal, oil, natural gas, and other fuels that are ancient remains of plants and animals, which matches this definition. The other statements aren’t correct: combustible material formed from fast-growing plants describes biomass or biofuels that form relatively quickly and aren’t fossilized over geologic time; nuclear materials come from radioactive elements and energy from nuclear reactions, not from fossilization; and fossil fuels aren’t limited to just coal, since oil and natural gas are also fossil fuels.