How did the hydrocarbons found in petroleum products such as gasoline originally obtain their chemical energy?

• A. From chemical reactions with atmospheric nitrogen
• B. From geothermal heat deep within the Earth's crust
• C. From radioactive decay of minerals in sedimentary rocks
• D. From solar energy captured by ancient plants through photosynthesis

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that hydrocarbons in petroleum are organic compounds originally derived from ancient biological material, primarily plants and microorganisms.
2. Recognize that these ancient plants captured energy from sunlight through the process of photosynthesis, converting solar energy into chemical energy stored in organic molecules.
3. Know that over millions of years, the remains of these organisms were buried and subjected to heat and pressure, transforming them into hydrocarbons found in petroleum.
4. Realize that the chemical energy in petroleum hydrocarbons is essentially stored solar energy from ancient photosynthesis, not from geothermal heat, radioactive decay, or reactions with atmospheric nitrogen.
5. Therefore, the origin of the chemical energy in petroleum hydrocarbons is solar energy captured by ancient plants through photosynthesis.