Best answer
Coal is made up of large amounts of carbon bonded together by hydrogen and other elements. When coal is burned, it produces mostlycarbon dioxide and water vaporwith some emissions of other gases such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. Fossil fuels have been used for energy since early in history.
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What happens when coal is burned?
When coal is burned, it reacts with the oxygen in the air. This chemical reaction converts the stored solar energy into thermal energy, which is released as heat. But it also produces carbon dioxide and methane.
How much carbon dioxide is produced when burning coal?
1,670 pounds of carbon dioxide. Coal鈥檚 most notorious byproduct is carbon dioxide (CO2). Every million BTUs released from burning coal releases an average of 208 pounds of CO2 (see note below). Since a ton of coal has 20.025 million BTUs, that means it creates 4,172 pounds of CO2 when it is burned.
What are the byproducts of coal mining?
Coal鈥檚 most notorious byproduct is carbon dioxide (CO2). Every million BTUs released from burning coal releases an average of 208 pounds of CO2 (see note below). Since a ton of coal has 20.025 million BTUs, that means it creates 4,172 pounds of CO2 when it is burned.
How is coal used to generate electricity?
Formed deep underground over thousands of years of heat and pressure, coal is a carbon-rich black rock that releases energy when burned. In the United States, roughly 30 percent of all electricity comes from coal: the rest comes from natural gas, nuclear, and renewables like wind and solar.
