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'Coal is the… (Class 10 Social Science SQP 2025-26, Q17B)

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Social ScienceCBSE Class 10 · Sample paper, session 2025-26 · 5 marks · Long answer

CBSE Class 10 Social Science sample paper 2025-26: question 17(B)

From the official CBSE sample question paper for 2025-26, section B, question 17(B), for 5 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q17(B) · 5 marks · Long answerMinerals and Energy Resources

'Coal is the most important and abundant fossil fuel in India.' Justify the statement by evaluating the significant role it plays in the growth of the Indian economy in its different forms.

Source: official sample paper from cbseacademic.nic.in (PDF). See it in the full Sample paper 2025-26.

Hints

Open one hint at a time and try again before the next.

Hint 1

List where coal energy is used: power, industry, homes.

Hint 2

Coal types differ by compression, depth and time of burial.

Hint 3

Arrange them from lowest to highest carbon content.

Step-by-step solution

Each step shows the marks it earns, as an examiner would award them. Checked by an independent re-solve from the question paper.

  1. Significance: coal is used for power generation, to supply energy to industry and for domestic needs. India depends heavily on coal for its commercial energy, for example in metallurgy.

    2 marks

  2. Peat: formed from decaying plants in swamps, low carbon, high moisture, low heating capacity.

    1 mark

  3. Lignite: low-grade brown, soft coal with high moisture; main reserves at Neyveli, Tamil Nadu, used for electricity. Bituminous: buried deep and heated; most popular commercial coal; its high grade, metallurgical coal, is used for smelting iron in blast furnaces.

    1 mark

  4. Anthracite: the highest quality hard coal.

    1 mark

Answer: Coal powers electricity, industry and homes; its forms are peat, lignite, bituminous and anthracite, each with distinct uses.

Where the marks are

  • At least two roles of coal in the economy (2 marks)
  • Peat (1 mark)
  • Lignite and bituminous (1 mark)
  • Anthracite (1 mark)

Revise the chapter

Practise this chapterBoard-style questions from Minerals and Energy Resources, one at a time, marked against the answer key and marking points.Back to the full paperSample paper 2025-26: every question, by section.

The question is transcribed from the official paper; figures are described in words. The solution, hints and chapter tag are ours. Spotted an error? Write tosupport@questionbuddy.in.