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PRODUCING GAS FROM COAL
Synthetic crude oil can be produced from coal through a process called coal liquification. Coal can be converted to methane through a coal gasification process. The gas produced from coal could be turned into petrol for cars, aviation fuel, or mixed with natural gas and used in industry and home heating. This experiment shows that gas can be produced from coal.
You will need:
- piece of coal about the size of a cricket ball
- coffee can or large beaker
- funnel
- small glass bottle or small beaker
- water
- hammer
Aim:
To produce gas from coal.
Method:
1. Wrap the piece of coal in a rag and hammer it into a fine powder.
2. Plug the narrow end of the funnel with a wad of soft paper then pour the coal powder into the funnel.
3. Hold the funnel and place the coffee can upside down over it.
4. Hold the funnel hard against the base of the can and turn the can upright.
5. Remove the paper from the end of the funnel.
6. Still holding the funnel hard against the base of the coffee can, pour water into the can until the level is about 3cm above the funnel.
7. Carefully submerge the small bottle into the water and allow it to fill, then place the bottle over the end of the funnel. As you do this make sure that the bottle stays under water so that no air gets in.
8. Leave the apparatus for at least a 24 hours.
9. Record what happens at 24 hour periods for 2 or 3 days.
Results:
What has happened to the water in the inverted bottle?
What is now in the bottle?
Where have the new contents come from?
How can you test the new contents of the bottle?
Conclusion:
What can you conclude about: coal formation? gas production from coal?
Further investigations:
Why was the coal hammered into a fine powder for this experiment?
Are there ways in which this process of extracting gas could be sped up?
Why has the gas been trapped in the coal and not escaped over the millions of years the coal has been in the ground?……
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