ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Coal analysis

Okay little one, let me tell you about coal analysis! Coal is a type of rock that people use to make electricity, heat houses, and power factories. But not all coal is the same. Some coal is better than others, and scientists need to test it to find out how good it is.

When they do coal analysis, they test things like how much heat the coal can produce, how much moisture it has, and what type of minerals are in it. They do this by taking a small sample of coal and putting it in a special machine that can measure all these things.

Once scientists know the quality of the coal, they can tell people how much it’s worth and where it should be used. For example, if they find that the coal has a lot of heat energy, they might recommend it for power plants. But if there’s too much moisture in it, it might not be good for anything.

So, just like how you want to know what’s in your food before you eat it, scientists want to know what’s in coal before they use it to make energy. This way, they can make sure they’re using the best coal for the job and keeping us safe and healthy!