IndexIntroductionCharacteristicsFormationLocationExtractionIntroductionA mineral is any solid present in nature containing a certain chemical substance. Minerals are used every day for many different things, such as airplanes, computer parts, batteries and prosthetics. They can also be studied to learn more about the past. Without them, humans would not be able to develop properly as a race. Coal, although not a mineral by some definitions, is also very important. It has many uses. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Characteristics There are many different types of minerals and they all have different characteristics. General information on the characteristics of minerals. The characteristics of coal depend on the type of coal. The more carbon and less water coal contains, the higher its ranking. Brown coal, also called lignite, is the lowest official ranking of coal. It is brown in color and is very fragile and crumbly. It contains low quantities of carbon and therefore energy (25-35%). Sub-bituminous coal is also considered lignite. It has a very similar appearance to lignite with a very dull and rough appearance. This type of coal has a carbon content of 35-45%. The bituminous coal is darker and has bands running down the center where several plant layers were located. Bituminous coal has a very high amount of carbon, equal to 45-86%. It is denser than lignite. Anthracite has the highest amount of energy and a carbon content of up to 97%. It often has a black sheen and is very hard and very dense. It is the strongest type of coal and has the lowest moisture content, containing almost no water or carbon dioxide. FormationCoal is compressed plant matter dating back millions of years. During this period plants flourished and the land was covered with forests. The plants grew very quickly, and when the old plants died, new ones grew on top without giving them time to decompose. Eventually, the new plants died and more grew on them. This process continued for millions of years, creating many separate layers beneath the Earth's surface. The weight of the upper layers compressed the plant matter. The layers were under incredible pressure and the temperature was very high, causing physical and even chemical changes in the plant layers as oxygen was pushed out, leaving carbon deposits. This process created coal. The location where the coal is located also depends on the type of coal. Also, due to the unique way it was produced, charcoal is found in almost every country in the world, but some countries have more charcoal, or more of one specific type. Lower-ranking coals are found primarily in the United States, China, and Australia. Higher ratings are also found in the United States and Russia. Anthracite is found primarily in Pennsylvania, Vietnam, Russia, and Ukraine. Mining Today there are two main ways in which coal can be mined: surface mining and underground mining. Surface mining can only occur if the coal is less than 200 feet underground. Otherwise, what will happen is underground mining. In surface mining, the rock above the coal (overburden) is removed. This can be done in many different ways, depending on the landscape and available resources. When the coal is located very close to the surface, the overburden is often removed with explosives and transported away using large trucks. So it is easy to access the coal underneath. This can be done