Grade level: 4th – 5th grade
Skills: Circle graphs
Related environmental issues: Energy
Area level: National
To meet energy needs in the United States, the nation has increased the country’s electricity generation by developing and using both non-renewable and renewable energy. The circle graph below shows what energy sources the country used to generate new electricity in 2015.
1.What energy source did the United States used the most to generate new electricity in 2015?
2.How many percentage did renewable energy make up? (Hint: renewable energy includes solar power, wind power, and other renewable energy)
3.Among the new electricity added in 2015, which energy source makes up more, non-renewable energy or renewable energy? (Hint: natural gas is non-renewable energy)
Source: SNL, 2016. Gas, wind contribute 82% of capacity additions in 2015
Note) New capacity addition in 2015 was 14.468 gigawatts. This problem rounded the number down to make it appropriate for the grade levels.
Note 2) 1 gigawatts means 1 billion watts
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Answer keys
- Wind power
- 64% (14 + 47 + 3 = 64)
- Renewable energy (Renewable energy: 64% > Non-renewable energy: 36%)