Copyright © 2011. The gases are withdrawn and may be burned to produce heat or generate electricity, or they may be used as synthesis gas in indirect liquefaction or the production of chemicals. The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Successive metallurgical and engineering developments—most notably the invention of the coal-burning steam engine by James Watt—engendered an almost insatiable demand for coal. Corrections? References to the early uses of coal are meagre. Although the concentration of carbon in Earth’s crust does not exceed 0.1 percent by weight, it is indispensable to life and constitutes humankind’s main source of energy. The biggest coal deposit by volume is the Powder River Basin in Wyoming and Montana, which the USGS estimated to have 1.07 trillion short tons of in-place coal resources, 162 billion short tons of recoverable coal resources, and 25 billion short tons of economic coal resources (also called reserves) in 2013. a black or dark-brown combustible mineral substance consisting of carbonized vegetable matter, used as a fuel. 5 people chose this as the best definition of energy: Energy is defined as the... See the dictionary meaning, pronunciation, and sentence examples. After the tremendous rise in coal use in the early 2000s, which was primarily driven by the growth of China’s economy, coal use worldwide peaked in 2012. Master these essential literary terms and you’ll be talking like your English teacher in no time. For the motive power of the Plymouth was not furnished by coal. Stored energy. Four general methods are used for liquefaction: (1) pyrolysis and hydrocarbonization (coal is heated in the absence of air or in a stream of hydrogen), (2) solvent extraction (coal hydrocarbons are selectively dissolved and hydrogen is added to produce the desired liquids), (3) catalytic liquefaction (hydrogenation takes place in the presence of a catalyst—for example, zinc chloride), and (4) indirect liquefaction (carbon monoxide and hydrogen are combined in the presence of a catalyst). to repay evil with good in order to make one's enemy repent. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Home / Science / Physics / Thermodynamics / What Is the Scientific Definition of Energy? Electrical energy is a type of potential energy, or energy stored in an object due to the position of the object. Free energy may also refer to the energy that powers a hypothetical perpetual motion machine. Coal is widely used as a fuel, and its combustion products are used as raw material for a variety of products including cement, asphalt, wallboard and plastics. Artist's recreation of James Watt inventing the separate condenser for the steam engine, c. 1765. Life can be tough in West Virginia, especially for the hardworking souls of coal country. Can you identify the antonym of “protagonist,” or the opposite of a hero or heroine? Coal is still the largest source of energy for the generation of electricity worldwide, though it’s being phased out in many parts of the world due to its impact on the climate. Energy can be classified as either potential (stored) energy or kinetic energy, which is the energy of movement. noun a black or dark-brown combustible mineral substance consisting of carbonized vegetable matter, used as a fuel.Compare anthracite, bituminous coal, lignite. The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary It … Wartime shortages and the needs of the munitions manufacturers, however, spurred small American coal-mining operations such as those in Virginia on the James River near Richmond. Some other types of energy include heat energy and light energy. Energy is found in many things and thus there are different types of energy. Energy can exist in a variety of forms, such as electrical, mechanical, chemical, thermal, or nuclear, and can be transformed from one form to another. “Have” vs. “Has”: When To Use Each One. Science is the field of study concerned with discovering and describing the world around us by observing and experimenting. Coal was, however, used only on a limited scale until the early 18th century, when Abraham Darby of England and others developed methods of using in blast furnaces and forges coke made from coal. The aforementioned stories may very well be legitimate, but let's consider them a sort of canary in the coal mine. How to use coal in a sentence. It derives its energy mainly from nuclear fusion in its core, converting mass to energy as protons are combined to form helium. Energy, resources, food, water, and clean air are so intimately joined that the future of every country in the world is interminably linked; the health, economic welfare, political destiny, and national security of all peoples in the universe are at stake. “Nauseated” vs. “Nauseous”: Which One To Use When You’re Feeling Sick, The Dictionary.com Word Of The Year For 2020 Is …. Gasification may be accomplished either in situ or in processing plants. Omissions? Such a device violates the laws of thermodynamics, so this definition currently refers to a pseudoscience rather than hard science. Energy can mean various things: . If you plan a low-energy day, it means a day of lounging around. We Asked, You Answered. Thermal energy. The ability to do work or cause change. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Updates? Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. https://www.britannica.com/science/coal-fossil-fuel, coal - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), coal - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). The most common definition is that renewable energy is from an energy resource that is replaced rapidly by a natural process such as power generated from the sun or from the wind. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements; chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is a major source of energy in the production of electrical power using steam generation. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. (kōl) A dark-brown to black, natural solid substance formed from fossilized plants under conditions of great pressure, high humidity, and lack of air. see carry coals to Newcastle; rake over the coals. It may exist in potential, kinetic, thermal, electrical, chemical, nuclear, or various other forms. In general, coal can be considered a hydrogen-deficient hydrocarbon with a hydrogen-to-carbon ratio near 0.8, as compared with a liquid hydrocarbons ratio near 2 (for propane, ethane, butane, and other forms of natural gas) and a gaseous hydrocarbons ratio near 4 (for gasoline). Coal cinders found among Roman ruins in England suggest that the Romans were familiar with coal use before 400 ce. What is Energy? Heat - Heat or thermal energy is energy from the movement of atoms or molecules. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Calibri} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} "As many people as you would ask to define it for you, they would say something different," Medina told Live Science. Meaning of coal. Vast deposits of coal originate in former wetlands—called coal forests—that covered much of the Earth's tropical land areas during the late Carboniferous ( Coal is a combustible rock and, along with oil and natural gas, it is one of the three most important fossil fuels. The capacity or power to do work, such as the capacity to move an object (of a given mass) in a given direction by the application of force. It can be transferred between objects and can also be converted in form. In doing work, the energy is changed from one form to one or more other form(s). Continued expansion of industrial activity in the United States and in Europe further promoted the use of coal. STUDY. Early fuels were primarily wood (and charcoal derived from it), straw, and dried dung. Kinetic energy. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. See more at anthracite, bituminous coal, lignite. Energy resources and utilization are serious societal concerns today. 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