Coal vs. Charcoal — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on September 25, 2023
Coal is a black or brownish-black sedimentary rock formed from dead plant matter under heat and pressure over millions of years. Charcoal is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by heating wood or other organic materials in the absence of oxygen.
Difference Between Coal and Charcoal
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Coal is a fossil fuel that has been used for centuries as a source of energy. It is formed from the remains of plants that lived and died millions of years ago, primarily in swampy, low-oxygen environments. The plants were subjected to heat and pressure over time, transforming them into coal. On the other hand, charcoal is a man-made substance usually produced by burning wood in a low-oxygen environment. This process removes water, methane, and other volatile compounds, leaving mostly carbon behind.
Coal is usually dug out of the earth from coal mines and then processed to remove impurities. The primary uses of coal are for electricity generation and industrial processes that require heat. Charcoal, in contrast, has a variety of applications, including cooking, metalwork, and even artistry. It is especially popular for barbecuing due to its ability to produce a stable and hot flame.
Both coal and charcoal can be used as fuel, but they have different characteristics that make them suitable for specific applications. Coal contains various impurities and releases more greenhouse gases when burned, making it less environmentally friendly. Charcoal is purer in form and burns cleaner, but it is less energy-dense compared to coal.
From a grammatical standpoint, both "coal" and "charcoal" are singular nouns, and their plural forms are "coals" and "charcoals," respectively. The word coal is of Old English origin, stemming from the term "col," while charcoal combines the word "char," which means to turn black or scorched, with "coal."
Comparison Chart
Origin
Natural, formed over millions of years
Man-made, produced by burning wood
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Primary Uses
Electricity generation, industrial processes
Cooking, metalwork, artistry
Environmental Impact
Releases more greenhouse gases, contains impurities
Burns cleaner, fewer emissions
Energy Density
Higher energy density
Lower energy density
Grammatical Plural
Coals
Charcoals
Compare with Definitions
Coal
Coal is a fossil fuel.
The power plant primarily uses coal for energy.
Charcoal
Charcoal is man-made.
We produced charcoal by burning wood.
Coal
Coal is extracted from the Earth.
Coal mining is a major industry in some regions.
Charcoal
Charcoal is lightweight.
The charcoal was easy to carry for the camping trip.
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Charcoal
Charcoal is used in cooking.
I prefer charcoal grilling for the smoky flavor.
Coal
A combustible black or dark brown rock consisting chiefly of carbonized plant matter, found mainly in underground seams and used as fuel
A coal fire
Two bags of coal
Charcoal
Charcoal burns cleaner than coal.
Charcoal is often used for its cleaner emissions.
Coal
Provide with a supply of coal
Ships had to be coaled and supplied
Charcoal
Charcoal is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by strongly heating wood (or other animal and plant materials) in minimal oxygen to remove all water and volatile constituents. In the traditional version of this pyrolysis process, called charcoal burning, the heat is supplied by burning part of the starting material itself, with a limited supply of oxygen.
Coal
A natural dark brown to black graphitelike material used as a fuel, formed from fossilized plants and consisting of amorphous carbon with various organic and some inorganic compounds.
Charcoal
A porous black solid, consisting of an amorphous form of carbon, obtained as a residue when wood, bone, or other organic matter is heated in the absence of air.
Coal
A piece of this substance.
Charcoal
A black, porous, carbonaceous material, 85 to 98 percent carbon, produced by the destructive distillation of wood and used as a fuel, filter, and adsorbent.
Coal
A glowing or charred piece of solid fuel.
Charcoal
A drawing pencil or crayon made from this material.
Coal
Charcoal.
Charcoal
A drawing executed with such a pencil or crayon.
Coal
To burn (a combustible solid) to a charcoal residue.
Charcoal
A dark grayish brown to black or dark purplish gray.
Coal
To provide with coal.
Charcoal
To draw, write, or blacken with a black, carbonaceous material.
Coal
To take on coal.
Charcoal
To charbroil.
Coal
(uncountable) A black or brownish black rock formed from prehistoric plant remains, composed largely of carbon and burned as a fuel.
The coal in this region was prized by ironmasters in centuries past, who mined it in the spots where the drainage methods of the day permitted.
Charcoal
Impure carbon obtained by destructive distillation of wood or other organic matter, that is, heating it in the absence of oxygen. Category:en:Carbon
Coal
(countable) A type of coal, such as bituminous, anthracite, or lignite, and grades and varieties thereof, as a fuel commodity ready to buy and burn.
Put some coal on the fire.
Order some coal from the coalyard.
Charcoal
(countable) A stick of black carbon material used for drawing.
Coal
(countable) A piece of coal used for burning this use is less common in American English
Put some coals on the fire.
Charcoal
(countable) A drawing made with charcoal.
Coal
(countable) A glowing or charred piece of coal, wood, or other solid fuel.
Just as the camp-fire died down to just coals, with no flames to burn the marshmallows, someone dumped a whole load of wood on, so I gave up and went to bed.
Charcoal
A very dark gray colour.
Coal
Charcoal.
Charcoal
Of a dark gray colour.
Coal
(intransitive) To take on a supply of coal (usually of steam ships).
Charcoal
Made of charcoal.
Coal
(transitive) To supply with coal.
To coal a steamer
Charcoal
To draw with charcoal.
Coal
(intransitive) To be converted to charcoal.
Charcoal
To cook over charcoal.
Coal
(transitive) To burn to charcoal; to char.
Charcoal
Impure carbon prepared from vegetable or animal substances; esp., coal made by charring wood in a kiln, retort, etc., from which air is excluded. It is used for fuel and in various mechanical, artistic, and chemical processes.
Coal
(transitive) To mark or delineate with charcoal.
Charcoal
Finely prepared charcoal in small sticks, used as a drawing implement.
Coal
A thoroughly charred, and extinguished or still ignited, fragment from wood or other combustible substance; charcoal.
Charcoal
A carbonaceous material obtained by heating wood or other organic matter in the absence of air
Coal
A black, or brownish black, solid, combustible substance, dug from beds or veins in the earth to be used for fuel, and consisting, like charcoal, mainly of carbon, but more compact, and often affording, when heated, a large amount of volatile matter.
Charcoal
A stick of black carbon material used for drawing
Coal
To burn to charcoal; to char.
Charcoal of roots, coaled into great pieces.
Charcoal
A very dark gray color
Coal
To mark or delineate with charcoal.
Charcoal
A drawing made with charcoal
Coal
To supply with coal; as, to coal a steamer.
Charcoal
Draw, trace, or represent with charcoal
Coal
To take in coal; as, the steamer coaled at Southampton.
Charcoal
Very dark gray
Coal
Fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period
Charcoal
Charcoal is made from wood.
The artist used wood to make charcoal.
Coal
A hot glowing or smouldering fragment of wood or coal left from a fire
Coal
Burn to charcoal;
Without a drenching rain, the forest fire will char everything
Coal
Supply with coal
Coal
Take in coal;
The big ship coaled
Coal
Coal is used in electricity generation.
The coal-fired plant supplies electricity to the city.
Coal
Coal forms from dead plant matter.
Millions of years transformed plant matter into coal.
Coal
Coal is less environmentally friendly.
Burning coal releases a lot of greenhouse gases.
Common Curiosities
What are the primary uses of coal?
Coal is mainly used for electricity generation and industrial processes requiring heat.
What is charcoal?
Charcoal is a black carbon residue produced by heating wood in a low-oxygen environment.
How is charcoal made?
Charcoal is made by burning wood or other organic materials in a low-oxygen setting.
How is coal formed?
Coal is formed from dead plant matter subjected to heat and pressure over millions of years.
What are the primary uses of charcoal?
Charcoal is commonly used for cooking, metalwork, and artistic endeavors.
What is the energy density of coal?
Coal has a higher energy density compared to charcoal.
What is coal?
Coal is a black or brownish sedimentary rock formed from ancient plant matter.
What is the energy density of charcoal?
Charcoal has a lower energy density than coal.
Where does the word charcoal come from?
The term charcoal combines "char," meaning to scorch, with "coal."
Can both coal and charcoal be used for heating?
Yes, both can be used for heating, but they have different characteristics and applications.
Is charcoal environmentally friendly?
Charcoal burns cleaner and is considered more environmentally friendly than coal.
What's the plural form of coal?
The plural form is "coals."
Is coal environmentally friendly?
Coal is generally considered less environmentally friendly due to its emissions.
Where does the word coal come from?
The term coal comes from the Old English word "col."
What's the plural form of charcoal?
The plural form is "charcoals."
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Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
