Chapter 9, Problem 13A

In what sense is energy from coal actually solar energy?

To determine

To Explain:

The sense in which energy from coal is actually solar energy.

Explanation of Solution

Introduction:

One of the famous examples of fossil fuel is Coal. Coal is black brownish in color. It is a rock thatcontainsa high proportion of carbon. In today’s time, around 60-70% of energy is fulfilled by fossil fuel. But due to the high emission of toxic gases, it creates lots of problems too. In the future, these sources will not be able to fulfill the energy demand of society. Nowadays, people look at the energy sources which are free from pollution, are low cost, and environment friendly. Solar energy is one of the renewable energy sources, which is free from pollution and is environment friendly. In solar energy, energy from the sun can be utilized to fulfill certain needs. The device used to convert solar energy into the most usable form is a solar cell.

Coal isa non-renewable source of energy.However, one might be amazed to know that the energy from the coal is actually solar energy. In the early days, many parts of the earth were covered with forest, but due to natural processes such as flooding, these plants were buried underneath the soil. The plants were compressed because of the presence of excessive soil. Excess soil increases the temperature of the plant. Due to these processes,the plantswere protected from oxidation and biodegradation.So at the end under high temperature and pressure, these dead plants or vegetables slowly converted into the coal.

However, solar energy is essential for plant growth. The energy from the sun is gained through the process of photosynthesis. In photosynthesis, light energy from the sun is converted into chemical energy.So this chemical energy gained from the sun is still available after the death of plants and is converted into coal.

Conclusion:

Energy gainedfrom the sunis converted into chemical energy whichis still available after the death of plants and converted into coal.