Coal formation and the molecular composition of different types of coal.

The diversity of coal types results from the quantity of carbon, the origin of the plants, and the conditions of formation..

The more the plant matte ris transformed and concentrated, the purer and harder the coal obtained.

Look closely at the molecular models above each different type of coal.

The black atoms are for Carbon.

The white atoms are for hydrogen.

The red atoms are for oxygen.

The older the coal, the lower the quantities of oxygen and hydrogen.

Don’t hesitate to compare the molecular models and the quantity of atoms they have, especially between the brown lignite from Germany and the black lignite from Provence.

Near the Provence lignite, look at the small molecule of methane, CH4. It is formed from the same atoms as coal. That’s why we always find methane in the coal mines.