Question

The variety of coal having low carbon content is-
A.Peat
B.Anthracite
C.Bituminous
D.Lignite

Answer 1

Hint: Coal is a fossil fuel which takes millions of years to form from the decayed bodies of plants and animals. It is used as an energy source today .It is flammable and black hard rock. Peat, anthracite, bituminous and lignite are varieties of coal with carbon content.

Complete step by step answer:
Peat is partially carbonized debris made of decayed plant materials and organic sediment. It is not actually coal but it can be transformed into coal. It is transformed into coal through following process-
-This peat is buried deep underground.
- Under high temperature and pressure the texture of peat alters and carbon content increase then it is transformed into coal in millions of years which contain $28\% $carbon.
-Anthracite -which is a highest ranking coal contains $94 - 98\% $carbon. It is a metamorphic rock. It is the highest ranking coal as it contains the highest amount of coal. It is also known as hard coal as it has a brittle texture. It contains less volatile matter as compared to the other types of coal.
- Bituminous coal consists of $17\% $ moisture, $0.5\% $ nitrogen $12\% $ ash content and $78 - 86\% $carbon. Bituminous coal is also called black coal and soft coal. It is a dense black sedimentary rock and has well-defined bands or layers of bright and dull materials. It is called bituminous because it contains a tar-like substance which is known as bitumen
- Lignite is the lowest ranking coal which contains $28 - 30\% $ carbon. It is also called brown coal as it is lighter in color as compared to the other types of coals. It has a crumbly texture and also high moisture content.

Hence the correct answer is A.

Note:
The uses of coal-
-It is used as a source of heat for manufacturing bricks and cement.
-It is used to heat steam which is then used to drive mechanical devices.
-It can be used as liquid and gaseous fuel too.
-Bituminous coal is mainly used for electricity generation and as a raw material for iron and steel.
-Anthracite is used in the metal industry due to its high carbon content.
-Lignite is also used to generate electricity.