Fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas, and coal are formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals that have been buried deep underground and subjected to heat and pressure over millions of years. The document then discusses how energy from the sun is converted through plants and animals into potential chemical energy, which is eventually stored in fossil fuels after the remains of plants and animals decompose over long periods of time. Modern machines convert the potential energy in fossil fuels like coal back into other forms of energy like electricity through processes like combustion and steam turbines.