AY Honor Coal

Coal

Skill Level

1

Year

2024

Version

24.11.2024

Approval authority

North American Division

Overview

Being the most abundant fossil fuel, coal is a controversial substance that is a large contributor to anthropogenic CO2 in the atmosphere and is used mainly for the generation of electricity. But is also critical to the production of cement and steel as well as several other industries.

Participants will come to learn the Biblical explanation and the science behind the formation of coal as a result of that event. It explores the contribution of coal to the existence of modern society and participants will begin to appreciate the complexity of the environmental impact that exists with every technology that involves the use of natural resources.

The Challenging Part

The most challenging requirement of this honor is probably this:

12. Obtain at least one specimen of coal.

a. Study and record as many observations as you can concerning the specimen(s) you have, including color, hardness, flakiness, etc.

b. Using the knowledge gained in this honor, identify the coal type.

c. Try lighting a chunk of coal with a lighter or match. How easily can the specimen(s) be lit in comparison to other combustible materials?

d. Grind the material into a powder and repeat the experiment. What were the results?