2. Coal Power

Coal, a solid fossil fuel formed from the partially decomposed remains of ancient forests, is burned primarily to produce electricity. Increases in coal use is happening particularly in developing nations, such as China, where coal is cheap and plentiful.

Coal is black or brownish-black. The most common form of coal is bituminous, a sedimentary rock that contains impurities such as sulfur.  Anthracite coal has been metamorphosed and is nearly all carbon. For this reason, anthracite coal burns more cleanly than bituminous coal.

Coal forms from dead plants that settled at the bottom of ancient swamps. Lush coal swamps were common in the tropics during the Carboniferous period, which took place more than 300 million years ago. The climate was warmer then.

During the Carboniferous period, the continents were located nearer the equator. Image courtesy of CK-12. 

Mud and other dead plants buried the organic material in the swamp, and burial kept oxygen away. When plants are buried without oxygen, the organic material can be preserved or fossilized. Sand and clay settling on top of the decaying plants squeezed out the water and other substances. Millions of years later, what remains is a carbon-containing rock that we know as coal.

Around the world, coal is the largest source of energy for electricity. The United States is rich in coal.  To turn coal into electricity, the rock is crushed into powder, which is then burned in a furnace that has a boiler. Like other fuels, coal releases its energy as heat when it burns. Heat from the burning coal boils the water in the boiler to make steam. The steam spins turbines, which turn generators to create electricity. In this way, the energy stored in the coal is converted to useful energy like electricity.

There are many coal-producing regions of the US. In the map, orange areas are anthracite; red, green, gray are bituminous coal, and yellow is the lowest grade coal, lignite.  Map courtesy of CK-12. 

For coal to be used as an energy source, it must first be mined. Coal mining occurs at the surface or underground. Mining, especially underground mining, can be dangerous. In April 2010, 29 miners were killed at a West Virginia coal mine when gas that had accumulated in the mine tunnels exploded and started a fire. There is still an underground coal fire buring in Centralia, Pennsylvania. 

Coal must be mined before it is burned to produce electricity. Photos coutesy of CK-12. 

Coal mining exposes minerals and rocks from underground to air and water at the surface. Many of these minerals contain the element sulfur, which mixes with air and water to make sulfuric acid, a highly corrosive chemical. If the sulfuric acid gets into streams, it can kill fish, plants, and animals that live in or near the water.

Source: Coal Power. Retrieved from http://www.ck12.org/book/CK-12-Earth-Science-Concepts-For-High-School/r16/section/12.6/ on August 27, 2013.