What energy changes take place when coal is burned?
When coal is burned, some of the energy is changed to heat. In all of the steps where mechanical energy is used, some of the energy is always changed to heat. This teacher sheet is a part of the Transforming Energy lesson. Email.
What happens to coal when it is heated?
If coal is heated in the presence of air, then coal burns to produce mainly carbon dioxide gas and no other useful products were obtained. It is a gaseous fuel which is obtained by the strong heating of coal in the absence of air during the processing of coal to get the coke. It is used as a fuel at the thermal power plant to generate electricity.
How bad is coal for the environment?
Why is coal bad for the environment? Coal contains sulfur and other elements, including dangerous metals such as mercury, lead, and arsenic, that escape into the air when coal is burned. Burning coal also produces particulates that increase air pollution and health dangers. Burning coal emits large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
What pollutants are released by burning coal?
Several principal emissions result from coal combustion:
- Sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), which contributes to acid rain and respiratory illnesses
- Nitrogen oxides (NOx), which contribute to smog and respiratory illnesses
- Particulates, which contribute to smog, haze, and respiratory illnesses and lung disease
Why do coal mines catch fire?
Coal fires can also begin in mines as a result of an explosion. Coal fires in China, many ignited by explosions used in the extraction process, may account for 1% of the world’s carbon emissions. In the U.S., it is more common for abandoned mines to catch fire if trash is burned in nearby landfills.
What is coal made of?
Coal is a black or brownish-black sedimentary rock that can be burned for fuel and used to generate electricity. It is composed mostly of carbon and hydrocarbon s , which contain energy that can be released through combust ion (burning).
What was coal used for in the 19th century?
Cannel coal was extensively used as a source of coal oil in the 19th century. Coal oil is made by heating cannel coal with a controlled amount of oxygen, a process called pyrolysis. Coal oil was used primarily as fuel for streetlights and other illumination. The widespread use of kerosene reduced the use of coal oil in the 20th century.
What is the lowest rank of coal?
Lignite coal is the lowest rank of coal. It has carbonized past the point of being peat, but contains low amounts of energy—its carbon content is about 25-35%. It comes from relatively young coal deposits, about 250 million years old.
Which type of coal has the most carbon?
Anthracite is the highest rank of coal. It has the most amount of carbon, up to 97%, and therefore contains the most energy. It is harder, more dense, and more lustrous than other types of coal. Almost all the water and carbon dioxide have been expelled, and it does not contain the soft or fibrous sections found in bituminous coal or lignite.
How is coal ranked?
Coal is ranked according to how much it has changed over time. Hilt's Law states that the deeper the coal seam, the higher its rank. At deeper depths, the material encounters greater temperatures and pressure, and more plant debris is transformed into carbon.
How thick is coal?
A coal seam can be as thick as 30 meters (90 feet) and stretch 1,500 kilometers (920 miles). Coal seams exist on every continent.
Why is it important to burn coal hot enough?
It is important to burn the coal hot enough with enough oxygen for complete combustion to carbon dioxide (CO2) . Incomplete combustion can lead to elemental carbon particles (soot) in the atmosphere.
What is the reaction of coal to oxygen?
It forms carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides ( NOx, derived from the nitrogen in the air ), elemental carbon ( as soot and char ), and the flame causes reactions with some of the mineral matter to form carbonates and oxides. The distribution and yield of these products varies with the ratio of coal to oxygen. That ratio strongly influences the temperature of the combustion, and the formation of these products.
What happens when carbon is oxidized?
It is important to burn the coal hot enough with enough oxygen for complete combustion to carbon dioxid e (CO2). Incomplete combustion can lead to elemental carbon particles (soot) in the atmosphere. A few years ago scientists clamed that the carbon particle accumulation in the atmosphere would cause world-wide cooling and crop failure.
What is the difference between gasoline and coal?
All fuels have carbon in them. Coal is almost pure carbon, gasoline and oil are mostly carbon and hydrogen, alcohol is carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. When you burn any of these fuels, carbon atoms in the fuel combine with oxygen from the air to make carbon dioxide, and energy is released.
How long does it take for petroleum to become fossil fuels?
If this process happen in the ocean you get petroleum. All told this slow process takes about 250,000,ooo to 500,000,000 years. That is where the concept of fossil fuels comes from. You can find fossils in and above coal deposits. Wood can ultimately become coal but not by burning but by ultra slow decomposition.
Does carbon dioxide burn?
Once carbon has been combined with oxygen you can't add any more oxygen to the carbon -- in other words, carbon dioxide doesn't burn. In fact, carbon dioxide is often used in fire extinguishers precisely because it does not burn and can smother a fire.
Should we stop using fossil fuels?
We should stop using fossil fuels like there is no tomorrow; or, eventually there may not be a tomorrow. I do not believe global warming or cooling will be the end of the human race, there are other variables which will cause the human race problems way before the effects of CO2 are significant enough to change the weather and the world. We will run out of metals, fuels and food long before we drown in salt water.
What is the result of burning fossil fuels?
Burning fossil fuels also produces carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Coal and oil also produce sulfur dioxide when burned, a gas that causes breathing problems for many living creatures ...
Why are fossil fuels burned?
Fossil fuels are burned to produce the heat used in the generation of electrical power. Oil and natural gas are often refined to produce fuels used in heating and transportation. Fossil fuels were formed from the remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago. These remains were eventually covered by layers of rock.
What is the gas that causes acid rain?
Coal and oil also produce sulfur dioxide when burned, a gas that causes breathing problems for many living creatures and contributes to acid rain. Fossil fuels are a widely-used fuel source that have been responsible for three-quarters of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions over the past two decades. ADVERTISEMENT.
Is coal a non-renewable resource?
Coal, oil and natural gas are considered a non-renewable resource, meaning that there is a limited supply of these fuels.
Why is coal ash reused?
Reusing coal ash can create many environmental, economic, and product benefits including:
What is coal ash?
Coal ash, also referred to as coal combustion residuals or CCRs, is produced primarily from the burning of coal in coal-fired power plants. Coal ash includes a number of by-products produced from burning coal, including: Fly Ash, a very fine, powdery material composed mostly of silica made from the burning of finely ground coal in a boiler.
How much coal ash is there?
According to the American Coal Ash Association's Coal Combustion Product Production & Use Survey Report, nearly 130 million tons of coal ash was generated in 2014.
Why does EPA regulate coal ash?
Without proper management, these contaminants can pollute waterways, ground water, drinking water, and the air.
What is the EPA's rule for coal ash disposal?
To address the risks from improper disposal and discharge of coal ash, EPA has established national rules for coal ash disposal and is strengthening existing controls on water discharges. For more information, visit the following Web pages. Regulations for the safe disposal of coal ash. Water regulations on power plant discharges.
What are the economic benefits of coal ash disposal?
Economic benefits such as reduced costs associated with coal ash disposal, increased revenue from the sale of coal ash, and savings from using coal ash in place of other, more costly materials.
Where is coal ash disposed of?
Some power plants may dispose of it in surface impoundments or in landfills. Others may discharge it into a nearby waterway under the plant's water discharge permit.
