Question

Why is coal not classified as a mineral?

Answer 1

Hint: Coal is a flammable black or brownish-black sedimentary rock that is found in the form of coal seams. Coal is mostly made up of carbon, with varying proportions of additional elements such as hydrogen, sulphur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is generated when dead plant matter decays into peat, which is then transformed to coal over millions of years by the heat and pressure of deep burial.

Complete answer:
Minerals are naturally occurring compounds with a defined chemical composition. When certain components come together, they form them. Minerals are non-organic, and the majority of them have a well-defined crystalline structure. Diamond, azurite, beryl, and pyrite are examples of minerals. Coal isn't a mineral since it doesn't meet the criteria. Rocks make up minerals. It is made up of atoms of elements and is non-living. Minerals aren't produced by living organisms like plants or animals. They are rock building blocks that have been produced over thousands of years. Organic stuff makes up coal. Coal is an organic sedimentary rock, whereas rocks are formed of inorganic (non-living) stuff like minerals. Coal is generated from organically degraded plants (were living)
Coalification is the process of turning dead plants into coal. The Earth has lush forests in low-lying marsh areas at various times in the geologic past. Coalification began in these wetlands when dead plant debris was preserved from biodegradation and oxidation, generally by mud or acidic water, and turned into peat. The carbon was trapped in vast peat bogs, which were subsequently covered by sediments. The heat and pressure of deep burial caused the loss of water, methane, and carbon dioxide over millions of years, and the amount of carbon rose.
Therefore, Coal is not a mineral.

Note:
A mineral or mineral species is a solid chemical substance with a very well-defined chemical composition and a particular crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form in geology and mineralogy. Compounds found solely in living creatures are usually excluded from the geological definition of mineral. However, certain minerals (such as calcite) are biogenic or are organic substances in the sense of chemistry (such as mellite). In addition, living organisms frequently create inorganic minerals (such as hydroxyapatite), which are also found in rocks.