Characteristics of coal are as follows
(i) Coal is a hard, black combustible fuel.
(ii) It is a fossil fuel.
(iii) It mainly contains carbon.
(iv) When heated in air, coal burns and produces mainly carbon dioxide gas.
(v) It is a source of energy.
Uses of Coal
Some of the uses of coal are given below
(i) Coal is one of the fuels used to cook food.
(ii) It is used in thermal power plants to produce electricity.
(iii) It is used as a fuel in various industries.
(iv) It is used for the manufacture of coke, coal tar and coal gas.