What is the difference between Coal and Charcoal? - ProProfs Discuss
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What is the difference between Coal and Charcoal?

Asked by Millie Brown, Last updated: Apr 15, 2024

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7 Answers

Barry Mclean

Barry Mclean

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Barry Mclean
Barry Mclean, Sales Manager, MBA, Ewa

Answered Feb 19, 2021

Coal is a natural rock dug from the ground, while charcoal is a man-made product that is made from the burning of charcoal. Charcoal is made from putting wood at high temperatures in the absence of oxygen. Coal is a fossil fuel that is formed after a plant decays in regions that contain water, while charcoal is gotten as a result of incomplete burning of wood.

Coal is mainly used in industries, and it is used to produce steam which ends use providing electrical energy and power, while charcoal is mostly used for cooking meals and generating heat during cold seasons. Coal is hotter and expensive, while charcoal is cheap and has a moderate heat.

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E. James

E. James

E. James
E. James

Answered Feb 02, 2021

Coal is a type of rock that you will be digging out of the ground. Charcoal, on the other hand, is a type of man−made product that is made out of wood. You can create charcoal by heating different pieces of wood. Make sure that you will do this with oxygen.

The main reason why people are often confused with charcoal and coal is you would call charred charcoal “coal.” Take note that coal and charcoal are both carbon compounds. Just remember that they will both have impure states of carbon which means that they cannot exhibit the usual properties of pure carbon. Another difference to remember is that coal is a mineral while charcoal is not a mineral.

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Jessica Rhodes

Jessica Rhodes

The economy is the basis of development, so I'd like to explore and share my knowledge more and more online and offline.

Jessica Rhodes
Jessica Rhodes, Economic advisor, Master of Economics (MEcon), Ohio

Answered Jan 22, 2021

Coal and charcoal have a lot of similarities; however, they have their own differences. Coal is a natural, and charcoal is man-made. Coal is a mineral, while charcoal is not. Coal results from fossil fuel, while charcoal is obtained from the burning of woods. Coal produces more heat than charcoal.

Coal is gotten from under the earth’s crust due to prolonged decay of plant and animals due to heat and pressure; it is a non-renewable resource, once used, cannot be regenerated. Charcoal is pure carbon. Charcoal takes time to remove volatile compounds such as water, methane, hydrogen, and tar. The carbon in charcoal mixes with oxygen and form carbon dioxide.

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A. Samuel

A. Samuel

Writing quality content for contentment has been my passion since i was 21. I've been pursuing it as a Content Manager and Producer.

A. Samuel
A. Samuel, Content Manager, Masters in Marketing and accounting, Florida

Answered Jan 20, 2021

To start a fire, there are two main things that would be used, which are coal and charcoal. They are both rocks and both can be lit with a torch or flame, but there are many differences between them. Coal is combustible. It is mainly black, but sometimes it can be a dark red color. Charcoal is porous and is black.

One of the main differences between them is how they are formed. Coal comes from geological processes, such as plant materials or dead animals. Charcoal comes from charcoal carbonaceous materials being pyrolysis.

Coal is categorized is a type of sedimentary rock. Charcoal is a compound that is porous.

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Isabel Mathew

Isabel Mathew

Coding is my forte plus writing and sharing my experiences online is one of my favorite hobbies.

Isabel Mathew
Isabel Mathew, Software engineer, BS(Bachelor of Science), Austin,Texas

Answered Jan 19, 2021

The significant difference between charcoal and coal is that coal is a naturally occurring fossil fuel, while charcoal is not. Charcoal is made from the element carbon, and carbonic compounds are plentiful in plants, animals, and other living organisms. When water and other hazardous substances are eliminated from carbonic compounds, the end product is charcoal.

A few charcoal types include lump charcoal, extruded charcoal, Japanese charcoal, and briquettes. It can produce high heat energy since charcoal burns at high temperatures. Charcoal production is not favorable for the environment, as it damages the forests, and deforestation is getting to be out of hand where charcoal is produced. Charcoal is also used in medicine for intestinal upset.

On the other hand, coal is a fossil fuel like natural gas and oil, which comes in a solid rock form. The process takes thousands of years; this is because the degrading process moves rather slowly. Coal is considered a non-renewable resource because it cannot be replenished when the coal mine is empty. There are different types of coal, including peat, lignite, sub-bituminous, bituminous, and anthracite. Peat is the lowest type of coal on the list, and it is formed more recently than the other kinds. The primary use of coal is to produce electricity; although, coal is also utilized to produce coke, synthetic rubber, insecticides, and paint products. Coal can also be used to power trains, and coal is a mineral, but charcoal is not.

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R. Barnes

R. Barnes

Always excited to learn and talk about new topics

R. Barnes
R. Barnes, Analyst, PhD, Clinton

Answered Jan 14, 2021

Things are the same. When you say coal, this is a type of rock that you can get from the ground. When you say charcoal, this is a man−made product that can be done with the use of wood and other elements. If you would like to create charcoal, you need to get certain pieces of wood and make sure that you will expose them to high temperatures.

To make this possible, you need to do this without oxygen. Do remember that it will take much longer to produce coal as compared to charcoal. According to research, it will take millions of years before coal can be naturally created.

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W. Kaye

W. Kaye

Here to answer and learn

W. Kaye
W. Kaye, Ex-Marine, Post Graduate, Chapel Hill

Answered Jan 12, 2021

One of the primary differences between charcoal and coal is that they are produced by two different methods. Coal is a product formed from plant remains, usually in a region that contains water or marshy areas.

When plants are buried in a region that contains water, the action of microorganisms after so many years results in what is known as coal. On the contrary, charcoal occurs when you apply heat to woods, usually in an arrangement that does not allow too much supply of oxygen. While the process that leads to the formation of coal is a naturally occurring one, charcoal does not form naturally since it occurs due to human actions.

While both are two sources of heat, coal is used in industries to generate heat for most of their operations. Charcoal, on the other hand, is used mainly for cooking meals due to its moderate heat production.

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