Select the related word from the given alternatives: Cotton is to White as Coal is to which descriptive word?

Introduction / Context:
This analogy connects an object with a colour that commonly describes it. Cotton is usually associated with the colour white, especially in its raw or natural form. You must now determine which word best completes the analogy for coal. Questions like this test basic general knowledge and simple association between objects and their characteristic properties.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The model pair is Cotton : White.
• We know that cotton, especially raw cotton, is typically white in appearance.
• The second object is Coal, which needs a similar descriptive word.
• The options are Fire, Mine, Wood, and Black.
• We assume the second word in each pair should be a common descriptive property, not a place or another object.

Concept / Approach:
The relationship in Cotton : White is Object : Characteristic colour. Cotton is a material, and white is the colour most often associated with it. To maintain the analogy, we must find the colour most strongly associated with coal. Coal is well known for its dark appearance, typically described as black. Fire, mine, and wood do not represent colours, so they cannot mirror the role of white in the first pair.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the type of relationship in the base pair. Cotton is a substance, and white is a colour description. Step 2: List what coal is. Coal is a dark, carbon rich solid fuel obtained from mines. Step 3: Examine option a, Fire. Fire is a process and a phenomenon, not a colour, so it does not match the descriptive role of white. Step 4: Examine option b, Mine. A mine is a place where coal is obtained. This is a location, not a descriptive property. Step 5: Examine option c, Wood. Wood is another substance and does not play the same role as a colour descriptor. Step 6: Examine option d, Black. Black is a colour commonly used to describe coal. Step 7: Conclude that Black is the only option that fits the pattern Object : Characteristic colour.

Verification / Alternative check:
We can express the analogy in parallel sentences. Cotton is white; coal is black. Both sentences are natural, simple, and reflect common usage. In contrast, sentences such as coal is fire, coal is mine, or coal is wood are semantically incorrect or confusing. This supports the view that the intended relationship is object to typical colour and that black is the correct completion.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Fire is something coal may produce when burned but is not a property of the coal itself. Mine is a location where coal is found, not a feature of coal. Wood is another material and does not describe coal. Since the model pair uses a colour descriptor, any answer that is not a colour fails to mirror the original pattern and must be rejected.

Common Pitfalls:
Some candidates may overthink and focus on where coal comes from or what it is used for, which can lead them towards mine or fire. However, the original pair is about a simple visual property rather than origin or function. Always identify the exact type of relation in the first pair before examining the options for the second pair.

Final Answer:
The correct related word is Black, because just as cotton is characteristically white, coal is characteristically black.