What is the difference between carbon and coal?

Think of it like iron ore and pure iron. Coal is a naturally occuring form of carbon based rock, with various amounts impurities, such as oxygen, hydrogen, sulphur and nitrogen. read more

As nouns the difference between carbon and coal is that carbon is (uncountable) the chemical element (symbol c) with an atomic number of 6 while coal is (uncountable) a black rock formed from prehistoric plant remains, composed largely of carbon and burned as a fuel. read more

The difference between carbon and coal is that carbon is the chemical element (symbol c) with an atomic number of 6 while coal is a black rock formed from prehistoric plant remains, composed largely of carbon and burned as a fuel. read more

Charcoal vs Coal Charcoal consists of the element carbon. Carbonic compounds are abundant in plants, animals and other living organisms. Therefore, as they die, these carbonic compounds are ultimately converted to other carbonic compounds. read more