Coal - Wikipedia
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. [1]
Coal | Properties, Formation, Occurrence and Uses - Geology Science
Aug 15, 2023 · There are four main types of coal: lignite, sub-bituminous, bituminous, and anthracite, each with different properties and uses. Coal is an abundant and relatively cheap source of energy, making it an important fuel for power generation, heating, and …
Coal | Uses, Types, Pollution, & Facts | Britannica
6 days ago · Coal is defined as having more than 50 percent by weight (or 70 percent by volume) carbonaceous matter produced by the compaction and hardening of altered plant remains—namely, peat deposits.
Coal: Anthracite, Bituminous, Coke, Pictures, Formation, Uses - Geology.com
Coal is an organic sedimentary rock that forms from the accumulation and preservation of plant materials, usually in a swamp environment. Coal is a combustible rock and, along with oil and natural gas, it is one of the three most important fossil fuels.
What is coal? | U.S. Geological Survey - USGS.gov
Coal is a sedimentary deposit composed predominantly of carbon that is readily combustible. Coal is black or brownish-black, and has a composition that (including inherent moisture) consists of more than 50 percent by weight and more than 70 …
Coal explained - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
Oct 24, 2023 · Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock with a high amount of carbon and hydrocarbons. Coal is classified as a nonrenewable energy source because it takes millions of years to form. Coal contains the energy stored by plants that lived hundreds of millions of years ago in swampy forests.
Coal mining | Definition, History, Types, & Facts | Britannica
Oct 11, 2024 · Coal mining, extraction of coal deposits from the surface of Earth from underground. Coal has been used since the Bronze Age, 3,000 to 4,000 years ago, and was the basic energy source that fueled the Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries.
Coal - National Geographic Society
Oct 15, 2024 · Coal is a nonrenewable fossil fuel that is combusted and used to generate electricity. Mining techniques and combustion are both dangerous to miners and hazardous to the environment; however, coal accounts for about half of the …
Coal in a Nutshell - ThoughtCo
Jan 23, 2020 · Coal is an enormously valuable fossil fuel that has been used for hundreds of years in the industry. It is made up of organic components; specifically, plant matter that has been buried in an anoxic, or non-oxygenated, environment and compressed over millions of years.
Coal - Carbon, Organic Matter, Sedimentary Rock | Britannica
Oct 9, 2024 · Coal - Carbon, Organic Matter, Sedimentary Rock: The plant material from which coal is derived is composed of a complex mixture of organic compounds, including cellulose, lignin, fats, waxes, and tannins.