Coal Mining

Today, most of the coal is used to:

• power steamships and steam trains
• heat homes and businesses
• produce electricity
• make iron and steel

The major environmental air pollutant from coal that scrubbers help remove is

• carbon
• sulfur
• chlorine
• nitrogen

Which BEST describes how coal forms?

• dead plant material completely decomposes in a desert environment
• tiny sea animals and plants die and are buried by sediment 
• dead plant material temporarily decays in a swamp environment
• dead animals partially decay in a desert environment

Which of these is true about surface coal mining?

• the "room and pillar" method is used often to surface mine
• only a small percentage of coal is mined this way
• overburden must be removed before mining and replaced after 
• longwall mining has become a more efficient technique used

This coal is layered and used to generate electricity.

• anthracite
• lignite
• sub-bituminous
• bituminous

______ coal has the highest carbon content and a metallic luster in appearance.

• anthracite
• lignite
• sub-bituminous
• bituminous

Aside from producing electricity, coal is also used in the US for

• heating homes
• make iron and steel
• road construction
• melting ice on roads

This crumbly coal has the lowest carbon content 

• lignite
• anthracite
• bituminous
• sub-bituminous