Answer:
- Coal combustion is burning coal to produce electricity, but it releases a lot of pollutants to the atmosphere.
Explanation:
Coal combustion is the process of burning coal to produce energy: the combustion releases heat which is used to heat water, producing steam which is used to move turbines and produce electricity.
The chemical equation for the combustion of pure coal is:
[tex]C(s)+O_2(g)\rightarrow CO_2+heat[/tex]
That is called complete combustion.
Incomplete combustion also happens:
[tex]2C(s)+O_2(g)\rightarrow 2CO(g)+heat[/tex]
CO₂ is a greenhouse gas, thus it is a pollutants.
Also, mined coal contain a lot of other elements, like sulfur (S), nitrogen (N), organic compounds, and heavy metals, which implies many side reactions. So, the combustion of coal releases a lot of pollutants to the atmosphere, which is why this is considered a dirty process.
