COAL What is Coal A black rock What is in coal Comes from the remains of plants that have been compressed over millions of years in the Earth It is about 75 carbon Also may contain sulfur hydrogen oxygen nitrogen and other substances ID: 659206
Download Presentation The PPT/PDF document "Coal Where Does it Come From?" is the property of its rightful owner. Permission is granted to download and print the materials on this web site for personal, non-commercial use only, and to display it on your personal computer provided you do not modify the materials and that you retain all copyright notices contained in the materials. By downloading content from our website, you accept the terms of this agreement.
Slide1
Coal
Where Does it Come From? Slide2
COAL Slide3
What is Coal?
A black rock
What is in coal?
Comes from the remains of plants that have been compressed over millions of years in the Earth.
It is about 75% carbon
Also may contain sulfur, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and other substances. Slide4
Where is it?
So, if coal is buried under millions of years of dirt and water, how do we get it out of the Earth? Slide5
Mining
Surface Mining
Shaft Mining
Miners use earthmovers to remove surface of the earth to get the coal.
If coal is close to the surface of the Earth they will use this method.
Miners like this method because it is not as expensive.
Unfortunately, it also destroys the land at the surface.
Miners dig tunnels into the Earth.
Then they use tools and explosives to remove the coal from the rock of the Earth.
Some mines are 1,000 feet deep. Slide6
What Happens Then?
After the coal is removed from the Earth it is loaded into mining cars and brought to the surface.
Then it is cleaned
Then it is loaded on to trains for transportation Slide7
Whew…
Let’s take a break and watch a video.
Return to the website and watch “How do they do it: coal mining?” Slide8
Review
Let’s review what we know so far.
Coal is a black rock made up mostly of carbon
It lies beneath millions of years of Earth
Miners work to remove it from the Earth
It is a source of energy for us
Top mining states are Montana, Wyoming, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania Slide9
Vocabulary
Carbon: a chemical element found in coal as well as plants and animals
Fuel: a substance that is used for heat or energy
Mine: a place where miners work to get certain materials out of the Earth
Nonrenewable: can be used up—there is a limited supplySlide10
Where?
Where is
coal mined? Slide11
Why do we want the coal?
Why is coal important, and why do miners work so hard to bring the coal to the surface?
The main use of coal today is for electricity.
Plants burn the coal to create steam, the steam powers machines that create electricity. Slide12
It is also used to help transform iron into
steel.
Coal heated to make coke
coke
can be heated to high temperatures changes iron ore to iron
iron
is used to make steel
The high temperatures give steel strength and flexibilityIt can then be made into things like bridges and automobiles. Slide13
Is Coal the only thing we mine?
No! We get many things through mining.
Let's Do Some Cyber Prospecting
!
Click on the link and when you arrive, choose a state and click on it to see what they mine. Don’t forget to fill in question 3 as you prospect. Slide14
Types of Fuel
Here are some other types of fuel. Make sure and jot them down in your journal.
We have already learned about coal
Do you remember that coal is a nonrenewable substance?
Other nonrenewable fuels
oil and natural gas.
Other fuels
Ethanol
Petroleum Slide15
You be the judge…..
is coal good or bad?
PROS
We have a large supply
It is cheaper to make coal into an energy source than other substances
Provides energy for plants and electricity for homes
CONS
Releases pollutants into the air
Coal ash can be highly toxic Mixes with oxygen when it burns and creates carbon-dioxide, which increases Earth’s temperatures Slide16
Did you know?
The Hopi Indians were the first people to use coal in North America.
Thomas Edison built a coal-fired electric generating plant in 1882. Slide17
Credits
http://
www.eia.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=coal_home-basics#coal_mining-basics
http://
www.msha.gov/KIDS/MINING.HTM
http://
www.eulesstx.gov/recycling/steel_making.htm
http://
science.discovery.com/videos/how-do-they-do-it-coal-mining.html