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Quiz about Coal  A Mine of Information
Quiz about Coal  A Mine of Information

Coal - A Mine of Information? Trivia Quiz


The least glamorous of the fossil fuels, coal, has impacted on human history in some surprising ways. Inspired by and indebted to the book "Coal: A Human History" by Barbara Freese.

A multiple-choice quiz by bucknallbabe. Estimated time: 6 mins.
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Author
bucknallbabe
Time
6 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
306,418
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
5 / 10
Plays
447
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. Most coal was formed from the first wave of plants to colonise the bare land, during the Carboniferous Period, 354-290 million years ago. In Britain, the earliest evidence of coal use dates to the Bronze Age. How were the people using it? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. After the Romans left Britain in the fifth century AD, burning coal died out. However, according to Bede, coal smoke did have some use. What? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. In 1306, when bishops, barons and knights journeyed to London to attend Parliament, they complained about the way in which coal was distracting them from their work. What exactly was it that caused the problem? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Several hundred years before Europe's "Industrial Revolution", China already had a thriving industrial society, partly due to the technique of removing volatile components from coal by baking it to make "coke". Which Chinese dynasty, in power from 960-1127 CE, is credited with the discovery of "coke"?
Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Whilst in Britain, the use of coal for domestic purposes was a late development, in China the burning of wood was supplemented by coal from about the third century BCE. At the time of the visit by Marco Polo around 1300 CE, what domestic use of coal particularly impressed the traveller? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Back in 14th century London, population increase and deforestation led to increased burning of coal. However, by the start of the 15th century, coal use had almost disappeared and wood was once again the favoured fuel. What was the major reason for the decline in use? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. In the Middle Ages, coal had strong negative associations which reduced its popularity. Which of these is NOT one of them? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. By the 16th century, quarrying and shallow mines had removed most of the near surface coal and shafts needed to be much deeper to get at the underground seams which often lay below the water table. The Church which owned the coal deposits was reluctant to make the investments to produce coal from depth. By 1540, this was no longer an issue. Why? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. By the time of Elizabeth I, the population of England had recovered from the Black Death, the developing wool industry was cutting down trees to make pasture, the iron industry was using vast amounts of charcoal, and the navy became concerned about the availability of timber for shipbuilding. There was a general wood shortage but coal came to the rescue and was eventually used even for domestic heating. What architectural feature, which became commonplace in Tudor times, contributed most to coal's acceptance for use in homes? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. The early settlers of the eastern seaboard of North America took coal with them on the voyages for heating and cooking purposes. Once there, they could use the abundant timber in the forests. Which coalbearing mountain range proved to be a barrier to westward expansion for the next 150 years or so?
Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Most coal was formed from the first wave of plants to colonise the bare land, during the Carboniferous Period, 354-290 million years ago. In Britain, the earliest evidence of coal use dates to the Bronze Age. How were the people using it?

Answer: To assist with the cremation of the dead

Whether the Bronze Age people used coal merely for its efficiency in reducing a body to ashes or whether they also invested it or its smoke with mystical properties is not known. The Romans were the first to use coal extensively in Britain, wearing it as jet jewellery, using it in blacksmiths' forges, heating their soldiers' forts and maintaining a perpetual fire at Minerva's shrine in Bath. Cinders have been found in the hearths of Roman villas in Northumberland but the use of coal as domestic fuel does not appear to have been widespread.
2. After the Romans left Britain in the fifth century AD, burning coal died out. However, according to Bede, coal smoke did have some use. What?

Answer: To drive off serpents

Bede (672/3-735) has been called "The Father of English History" in honour of his work "The Ecclesiastical History of the English People". He wrote other scholarly historical and theological works and was made a saint in 1935 with a feast day of 25th May, the anniversary of his death.

There are only three species of "serpent" in Britain as the climate is generally too cold for reptiles. The adder is venomous and is the only snake found in Scotland. The grass snake and smooth snake are usually found in southern areas and are becoming less common due to habitat loss. All three snakes survive the winter by hibernating and are protected by law.
3. In 1306, when bishops, barons and knights journeyed to London to attend Parliament, they complained about the way in which coal was distracting them from their work. What exactly was it that caused the problem?

Answer: Smell of burning coal

14th century London was indeed a smelly place, but people were used to the odours produced by rotting rubbish, animal dung and other wastes. After popular protests, King Edward I banned the burning of coal which had begun to replace the use of scarce wood in smithies and similar workshops, but to no avail - its use continued and penalties such as fines and the smashing of furnaces followed.

The Parliament of England grew out of the Great Council, a meeting of clergy and nobility summoned by the monarch to discuss and give approval to important decisions, often about raising revenue.
4. Several hundred years before Europe's "Industrial Revolution", China already had a thriving industrial society, partly due to the technique of removing volatile components from coal by baking it to make "coke". Which Chinese dynasty, in power from 960-1127 CE, is credited with the discovery of "coke"?

Answer: Northern Song

"Coke" was preferred to coal in the iron smelting because it is almost pure carbon which reacts with the oxygen in the iron ores to make carbon dioxide, leaving the pure iron. With the introduction of coke, the iron industry relocated to the coalfields of China, largely in the east of the country. At the time of the Northern Song dynasty, the industry was centred on modern-day Kaifeng.

Rebecca Freese, in her book "Coal" reports that in 1024 the Northern Song government supplied 35,000 swords, 8,000 shields, 10,000 spears, 32,000 suits of armour and 16 million bows, arrows and steel arrowheads - typical annual production. Additionally, 100 workers were kept busy producing "horse-decapitating swords" for use against horse-riding invaders from the north. This level of production would not have been possible if charcoal from scarce wood had not been replaced by coal/coke in iron smelting.
5. Whilst in Britain, the use of coal for domestic purposes was a late development, in China the burning of wood was supplemented by coal from about the third century BCE. At the time of the visit by Marco Polo around 1300 CE, what domestic use of coal particularly impressed the traveller?

Answer: Heating water for baths

Marco Polo had not come across the combustible black stones in his native Italy and and remarked upon their use for heating stoves and baths noting that "there is no person who does not frequent a warm bath at least three times in a week ..."

His remarkable journey to Cathay (China) followed "The Silk Road", an ancient network of routes traversed by the silk merchants of China trading their wares with the countries of the Mediterranean. At the time of Marco Polo's visit, China was so much more advanced than the countries of Europe in many respects, such as industry and cities, that people accused him of lying about what he had seen.
6. Back in 14th century London, population increase and deforestation led to increased burning of coal. However, by the start of the 15th century, coal use had almost disappeared and wood was once again the favoured fuel. What was the major reason for the decline in use?

Answer: Bubonic plague had reduced the population

England and other European countries suffered several waves of bubonic plague in the 14th century and the population fell drastically. Villages were abandoned and forests grew up in their places, providing sufficient wood for the needs of the much smaller population.

Legislation against coalburning had been in place for some time but had proved ineffective. Most of the coal at the time came from the North East of England where it was found near the surface along the banks of the River Tyne. Much of the land was owned by the Church who used serfs to mine and haul the coal to the river where it was loaded on to ships and transported, usually to London, where it was known as "sea-coal" the word "coal" itself being reserved for charcoal. The price was cheap and there were extensive coal reserves still relatively easy to exploit - people just didn't want or need it.
7. In the Middle Ages, coal had strong negative associations which reduced its popularity. Which of these is NOT one of them?

Answer: Coal smoke contained evil spirits

The coal of the time burned with a strong smell of sulphur, the "brimstone" associated with the fires of hell. "Buboes" are small black swellings of the lymph nodes and resemble small coals - they were also reported to be as painful as being burned by a hot coal. The understanding of the causes of disease was several centuries in the future and the belief that bad airs, "malaria", were responsible for disease was prevalent in the middle Ages.

The word "carbuncle", referring to an abcess, was also in use at the time and derives from the word for a small coal (same root as "carbon"). "Anthrax" another disease with abcesses, is also named for coal, from the Greek. Similarly, one form of coal is called anthracite.
8. By the 16th century, quarrying and shallow mines had removed most of the near surface coal and shafts needed to be much deeper to get at the underground seams which often lay below the water table. The Church which owned the coal deposits was reluctant to make the investments to produce coal from depth. By 1540, this was no longer an issue. Why?

Answer: The Church no longer owned the land

in 1527, King Henry VIII failed to get the Pope to agree to the annulment of his marriage to Katherine of Aragon. In response he broke with the Pope and confiscated all the land and property in the hands of the various monastic orders, including those of the Prior of Tynemouth who had long been in dispute with local merchants about the control of the coal trade.

The merchants happily bought the confiscated lands and eagerly sought ways of profiting from their purchases.
9. By the time of Elizabeth I, the population of England had recovered from the Black Death, the developing wool industry was cutting down trees to make pasture, the iron industry was using vast amounts of charcoal, and the navy became concerned about the availability of timber for shipbuilding. There was a general wood shortage but coal came to the rescue and was eventually used even for domestic heating. What architectural feature, which became commonplace in Tudor times, contributed most to coal's acceptance for use in homes?

Answer: Chimney

By Tudor times, chimneys, hitherto the preserve of the upper classes, were commonplace in more modest properties. A properly-constructed chimney effectively separated the unwanted fumes and smoke from the desired warmth and enabled the change from burning scarce wood to the combustion of coal.

Chimneys for coal fires needed to be somewhat narrower than for wood fires and the need to remove the soot periodically gave rise to the employment of children as chimney sweeps.
10. The early settlers of the eastern seaboard of North America took coal with them on the voyages for heating and cooking purposes. Once there, they could use the abundant timber in the forests. Which coalbearing mountain range proved to be a barrier to westward expansion for the next 150 years or so?

Answer: Appalachians

The dense forests of the the East coast were somewhat threatening to people coming from England where wood was in short supply. They set about clearing the trees to practise farming and used the timber to build their homes, fence their properties, make their furniture and for heating and cooking. There was so much, they even shipped some of the timber back to England.

Once the Appalachian barrier was overcome, and the Ohio River explored, the extent of the coal became evident. The town of Pittsburgh was founded and in time, came to be a major industrial centre fuelled by coal.
Source: Author bucknallbabe

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