Unit 08 - Hydrocarbons

Hydrocarbons are molecules that consist exclusively of combinations of hydrogen and carbon. These molecules are the primary chemical potential energy source for all life on Earth - starches, sugars, and fossil fuels.

Anthropogenic

anything caused by human activity

Anthropogenic Climate Change

changes in the long-term atmospheric conditions of the Earth that are attributable primarily to human action

Climate

an average of weather conditions over a long period of time in the same location

Fracking

the common name for hydraulic fracturing, a process by which petroleum engineers use a highly dense solution to crack rocks deep beneath the surface, causing oil and natural gas to bubble up from an intermingled state that would resist traditional oil pumping techniques

Hydrocarbon

any molecule consisting exclusively of hydrogen and carbon atoms; starches, sugars, and fossil fuels are examples of hydrocarbons