• Coal is a solid material high in carbon content.

• Most coal is burned by electric utility companies to produce steam to turn their generators.

• Coal is sometimes used in factories to provide heat for buildings.

• There are many forms of coal. Peat is used for fueling open fires, and mixed with lignite to make briquettes to burn in furnaces.

• Bituminous coal is used most by electric utility companies in the U.S. to help run their power plants. Industry also uses bituminous coal to provide heat for industrial processes such as steel making.

• Coal is often turned into liquid form to produce liquid oil products like gasoline.

 

JOB DESCRIPTIONS

TASK MASTER-Keep your group on the job.

TIME KEEPER-Watch the time, and give two minute warning.

RECORDER-Write your groups answers NEATLY on this paper.

REPORTER-Report to the class what your group learned using this paper.

READER(S)-Read the summary sheet out loud for your group.
 

Directions: Use your coal summary to answer the following questions.

1. What is coal?

2. How is coal used most by electric utility companies?

3. What purpose does coal sometimes serve in factories?

4. Describe how the following types of coal are used:

1. Peat and lignite
2. Bituminous coal