Question

What is the rank of India in the world in coal production ?

Answer 1

Hint: Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements mainly sulfur,hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen. Coal is formed when dead plants decays into peat and is converted into coal by the heat and pressure due to deep burial beneath the surface of the earth over millions of years. This conversion of dead plants into coal is called coalification.

Complete Answer:
There are four stages in coal formation: peat, lignite, bituminous, and anthracite.
Peat: a substance from which coal is formed
1. Lignite: Known as brown coal. It is the lowest rank of coal, most hazardous to health, used almost as fuel for electric power generation
2. Bituminous: It is a dense sedimentary rock, usually black in colour, It is used primarily as fuel in steam-electric power generation, steam locomotives and to make coke.
3. Anthracite: It is the highest grade of coal, and is a harder, and glossy black coal used primarily for commercial and residential space heating.

The important uses of coal are in steel production, electricity generation, cement manufacturing and as a liquid fuel.
Coal is an essential commodity providing affordable electricity to businesses,households, manufacturing facilities, transportation and communications systems, and services throughout our economy.

The advantages of coal are:
- Huge global coal reserves.
- Coal is a renewable energy source.
- Coal is compatible with other energy sources.
- Coal is convertible to various formats.
- Coal is easy to store.
- Low capital investments for coal.
- Minimal wastes, coal byproducts can be used.
- Cheaper to come by coal.

India produces 761,662,038 tons of Coal per year and ranks 2nd in the world.

The Correct answer is: Option B (2nd).

Note: The other top countries producing coal
1. United States – 249 billion tonnes.
2. Russia – 162 billion tonnes.
3. Australia – 149 billion tonnes.
4. China – 142 billion tonnes.