- Natural gas chiefly consists of methane (CH4), but also contains other hydrocarbons such as ethane, butane, propane, and naphtha.
- Natural gas is odorless, colorless, and flammable.
- Natural gas is non-toxic and lighter than air.
- Utility companies add the smell of rotten eggs-a product call mercaptan- to make leaks easier to detect.
- Natural gas is in the ground, and there are a variety of techniques to extract it from the ground. One technique is hydraulic fracturing (or fracking). It consists of high pressure mixture of water, sand, and toxic chemicals that is pumped into the rock to break it up.
- Natural gas is a nonrenewable energy because it takes so long to form and the supply is finite (limited).
- Natural gas is transported through pipelines to plants for processing and storage. When energy needs are high, it transferred to power plants and burned to create electricity.
- Natural gas is cheaper compared to other fossil fuels and cheaper than electricity when used for supplying home appliances.
- Natural gas does not pollute the ground or the underground water because its byproducts are in gaseous form.
- Natural gas emits 45% less carbon dioxide than coal and 30% less than oil.
- Natural gas leaks are extremely dangerous, as they can cause fires and explosions. They can become even more hazardous since methane is 21 times more dangerous than carbon dioxide.