If carbon is a byproduct\end product of combustion, why exactly is coal so good at burning? Isn’t coal just pure carbon?

Question

If carbon is a byproduct\end product of combustion, why exactly is coal so good at burning? Isn’t coal just pure carbon?

In: Chemistry

Answer 1

**Carbon dioxide** (CO2) is a product of combusion. It isn’t pure carbon, it’s a greenhouse gas. The term “carbon dioxide” is shortened to just “carbon” when talking about global warming.

**Soot** is a form of impure carbon that is a product of incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons (molecules composed mostly of carbon and hydrogen, such as paraffin, alcohol, kerosene, etc.).

Pure carbon that hasn’t yet reacted with anything can react (burn) in the presence of oxygen. Coal isn’t pure carbon either, however, it’s mostly carbon but it includes other compounds that burn (made mostly of hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen), often releasing pollutants when they react.