Fossil Fuels ~ Plants and animals have trapped light energy from the sun in them when they die. As they decompose underground the

energy becomes compressed into coal, oil or natural gas.

Coal• State of Matter ~ Solid

• What are the uses ~ used to create electricity 51% in PA. Also used to make coke which was a popular fuel for trains, coal is also used to make some products like medicines, perfumes and paint thinners

• How is it used ~ typically it is burned for fuel, and heated to make products

• Watch this video for an over view http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeXG8K5_UvU

Coal Burning Power Plant

Coal• How is it obtained ~ Coal must

be mined. It is found deep within the earth, and has to be dug out, several different types of mining

• Where it is found ~ USA, Russia, and China, in that order

• Amount of air pollution ~ Coal is the dirtiest of all fossil fuels, even “clean coal” causes more pollution than oil. Although scientist are working on this all the time

How it is formedCoal Formation Coal forms from the

remains of plants that lived in swamps hundreds of millions of years ago. Much of the coal in the eastern United States formed about 320 million to 300 million years ago, when vast areas of swampland covered the eastern United States. As ocean levels rose and fell, these swamps were repeatedly covered with sediment. Layers of sediment compressed the plant remains, and heat and pressure within the Earth’s crust caused coal to form. Coal deposits in the western Unite States also formed from ancient swamps, but those deposits are much younger. The abundant coal deposits in states such as Wyoming formed between 100 million and 40 million years ago.

Here is a link about how coal is formed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBeXRRTGjNE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZS2Klye00A

http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?title=How_was_coal_formed_&video_id=40991

Coal Mine

Coal Mine

Coal• Environmental Impacts ~ burning coal puts

particulates, and mercury in the air, along with CO2, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide (causes acid rain)

• Mining for coal ruins the surface of the land, and causes area soil and water to become acidic from acid mine drainage.

Coal

Coal Miners LungHealthy Lung

Abandoned Coal MineThe orange color is the result of mine drainage

Acid Mine Drainage