BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Coal is dark brown or black rock composed of sulfur, carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and small quantities of aluminum and zirconium.
Dead plant material fell into swampy waters thousands of years ago and as time proceeded dirt and other substances formed atop them, halting the decaying process. Peat was formed, and physical and chemical changes caused oxygen to be pushed out of the plant material and leave hydrocarbon deposits. Since coal is created from once living organisms, it is a fossil fuel. Coal can not be replicated quickly because the natural processes take many decades to complete, thus it is a non-renewable resource. Types of Coal There are a number of different types of coal across the world. First, a coal low in organic material is called lignite. In addition, there are hard coals, which include bituminous coal and anthracite coal. The image to the left displays the types of coal with its carbon and moisture content. |