Coal Energy

Essay by EssaySwap ContributorHigh School, 10th grade February 2008

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This report is about coal energy. The report will describe how coal was formed, how and where we get coal, how to process coal, and how coal is used.

The report will discuss the different types of coal and which coals contain more heat producing energy. The report will discuss how coal is transported. It will also discuss coal?s impact on the environment.

Furthermore, the report will discuss why waste coal is a problem.

Information for this report was secured from various web sites on the internet.

Coal, a commonly used fuel, is obtained from the coal mines. The coal is found in thick, flat layers and the mines are many miles wide. There are thousands of laborers and engineers which work mines round-the-clock.

The formation of coal first began around 250 million years ago in an age called ?carboniferous period?. It was during this time that earth had many swamps where there were fast growing plants and giant tree ferns.

Over time these plants died and fell in the swamp water. The plants did not rot; instead bacteria grew on the plants and changed them into slimy material that was called peat. The peat was compressed by mud and sand. The peat was then heated by use of carbon and hydrocarbons which turned into brownish-black rock.

Coal could be obtained by two methods: surface or underground mining. Giant machines are used by coal miners to remove coal from the ground. About two-thirds of the United States coal comes from surface mining and the rest is located near the ground?s surface.

The production of most of the coal in the United States is by surface mining because it is less expensive. Surface mining can be used when the coal is less than two hundred feet underground. In surface mining large...