Wednesday February 18

Unit 4: Coal Study Guide

1. What is a BTU?
2. What does a BTU measure?
3. What are the 4 types of coal?
4. How do the types of coal differ?
5. What does the term energy content mean?
6. Which type of coal has the highest energy content?
7. What are the "ingredients" of coal? (HINT: Think about the periodic table of elements)
8. What is the result of the combustion of coal?
9. What are the steps required to convert coal into electricity?
10. What type of water pollution occurs as a result of the use of cooling towers (condensation)?
11. What part of a coal power plant is responsible for removing air pollution that happens after the coal is combusted?
12. What are the steps involved with the creation/formation of coal?
13. What is the original source of the energy that is contained in the coal?
14. What are the current uses of coal?
15. What has coal been used for historically?
16. Where (in the United States) is coal found today?
17. What would happen to the use of coal if more people began driving "plug-in hybrid" cars?
18. What sectors of the economy is coal used in most often? least often?
19. How does coal pollute the air?
20. How does coal pollute the water?
21. How does coal pollute the land/soil?
22. In your opinion, given all that you have learned about coal, would you recommend that we continue to use coal? Why or why not?