Definition
Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers called coal beds
Discoverer
Ferdinand von Richthofen
John Peter Salley
Etymology
From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone
From the Old English term col, which has meant mineral of fossilized carbon since the 13th century
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Group
Volcanic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic
Amorphous, Glassy
Color
Grey, White, Light Black
Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Banded
Veined or Pebbled
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Not Yet Used
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings
Not Yet Used
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives
Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Steel Production
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry
Alumina Refineries, Electricity Generation, Liquid Fuel, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Paper Industry
Types
Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.
Peat, Lignite, Sub-Bituminous Coal, Bituminous Coal, Anthracite, Graphite
Features
Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors
Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not Used
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Formation
Rhyolite is a felsic extrusive rock and due to its high silica content, rhyolite lava is very viscous and is volcanic equivalent of granite.
Coal forms from the accumulation of plant debris in a swamp environment which is buried by sediments such as mud or sand and then compacted to form coal.
Mineral Content
Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
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
Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Not Applicable
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Not Applicable
Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Sub-conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Earthy
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Non-Existent
Toughness
2
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.65-2.67
1.1-1.4
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.4-2.6 g/cm3
1100-1400 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India
Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain
Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria
Rhyolite 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. Rhyolite vs Coal characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Rhyolite and Properties of Coal. Learn more about Rhyolite vs Coal in the next section. The interior uses of Rhyolite include Decorative aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Coal include Not yet used. Due to some exceptional properties of Rhyolite and Coal, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Rhyolite in construction industry include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, For road aggregate, Knives and that of Coal include Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Steel production.
More about Rhyolite and Coal
Here you can know more about Rhyolite and Coal. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Rhyolite and Coal consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Rhyolite includes Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz 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 Rhyolite vs Coal, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Rhyolite is available in grey, white, light black colors whereas, Coal is available in black, brown, dark brown, grey, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Rhyolite is Banded and that of Coal is Veined or Pebbled. Properties of rock is another aspect for Rhyolite vs Coal. The hardness of Rhyolite is 6-7 and that of Coal is 1-1.5. The types of Rhyolite are Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks. 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 Rhyolite is colorless while that of Coal is black. The specific heat capacity of Rhyolite is Not Available 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.Rhyolite is heat resistant, wear resistant whereas Coal is heat resistant.