Coal

1. Coal Where Does it Come From?

2. COAL

3. What is Coal? A black rock • 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. What is in coal?

4. 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?

5. Mining Surface 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. Shaft Mining

6. 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

7. Whew… • Let’s take a break and watch a video. • Return to the website and watch “How do they do it: coal mining?”

8. 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

9. 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 supply

10. Where? • Where is coal mined?

11. 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.

12. 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 flexibility • It can then be made into things like bridges and automobiles.

13. 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.

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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.

17. 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