Obsidian vs Coal

Obsidian vs Coal Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Obsidian and Coal Reserves. Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth. Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers called coal beds. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Obsidian vs Coal information and Obsidian vs Coal characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Obsidian vs Coal Characteristics

Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Obsidian vs Coal characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Obsidian and Properties of Coal. Learn more about Obsidian vs Coal in the next section. The interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Coal include Not yet used. Due to some exceptional properties of Obsidian and Coal, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Obsidian in construction industry include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points and that of Coal include Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Steel production.

More about Obsidian and Coal

Here you can know more about Obsidian and Coal. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Obsidian and Coal consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Obsidian is not available and mineral content of Coal includes Analcime, Apatite, Barite, Calcite, Chalcopyrite, Chlorite, Chromite, Clausthalite, Clay Minerals, Crandallite Group, Dolomite, Feldspar, Galena, Gypsum, Marcasite, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Siderite, Sphalerite, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Obsidian vs Coal, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors whereas, Coal is available in black, brown, dark brown, grey, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Obsidian is Shiny and that of Coal is Veined or Pebbled. Properties of rock is another aspect for Obsidian vs Coal. The hardness of Obsidian is 5-5.5 and that of Coal is 1-1.5. The types of Obsidian are Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian whereas types of Coal are Peat, Lignite, Sub-Bituminous Coal, Bituminous Coal, Anthracite, Graphite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Obsidian is white while that of Coal is black. The specific heat capacity of Obsidian is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Coal is 1.32 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Obsidian is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Coal is heat resistant.