Wind Early
Coal Late
Nuclear Early
Gas Early
Others in 2020
Solar Late
Oil Late
Names
Oil Early
Coal Early
Reset Graph
Wind Late
Title
Nuclear Late
Gas late
Connections
to Standards
In this interactive
you learned about reading line graphs
and you explored long term trends
in energy cost.
So… you be the judge.
What do you predict the trend will be over the next 20 years?
Send Us
your suggestions
about this interactive
What else would
you like to know?
a line graph
is a graphic way
of representing data
with a line that traces
across an x/y grid
It is especially helpful
when looking at trends over time
The Mystery Graph
The activities in this interactive
will help you learn more
about trends in energy costs over time.
Trends over Time
In this interactive,
you will explore long-term trends
for several different types of energy.
Pay attention to what happens
to the cost of each type of energy
over time.
A question to consider
Roll your pointer
over any printed line
to get more information.
Based on this graph:
What do you predict the trend will be
over the next 20 years?
What is a line graph?
Nuclear
After reading these descriptions,
drag the label to the proper line.
- This is a way
to generate electricity
in small towns
and remote locations,
but it is much more expensive
that the other two sources.
- This was the least expensive way
to generate electricity
throughout the 20th century.
- This was a good choice in 1980,
but it became more expensive
as people began to recognize
the costs of waste disposal
and risks of accidents.
Oil
Coal
See graphs of energy production in the US and the world
Go Back
to Portal
See a good graph, and an equation that shows us why a graph is a good way to see the results!
See graphs that show trends in amounts of electricity generated by different sources, as well as costs.
See a graph of estimated electricity costs in 2017, showing the advantages of existing technology. (Note: report published in 2012, using 2011 data.)
Learn more by exploring additional resources
Correct!
Click anywhere to advance!
The new line on the graph
(light blue dots)
shows the cost of natural gas
as a way to generate electricity.
How would you describe its trend through time?
Drag this marker to show the time
when natural gas became cheaper
than nuclear energy as a way
to generate electricity.
Incorrect!
Click anywhere to try again!
How to Use
this Interactive
Jump To
Clickable Graph
Trends, Shifts,
and Cycles
Cost of Electricity
Let’s extend the lines to show
what happened between 2000 and 2020.
Which statement is false:
- Nuclear energy continued to
get more expensive
through time.
- Oil remained the most
expensive way
to generate electricity.
- Fracking technology
kept the price of natural gas low
while the other sources
all became more expensive.
- Coal remained the cheapest
way to generate electricity.
N
The new green line shows
the cost to generate electricity
with wind generators (turbines)
like the one in the picture.
Drag these markers to the dates
where wind turbines
became cheaper
than nuclear reactors (N)
and coal-fired powerplants (C).
C
- Coal remains the least expensive way to generate electricity.
- Solar collectors became cheaper
than nuclear reactors about 2010
- Solar energy requires batteries
or other ways to store energy
for when the sun isn’t shining.
The yellow circles represent
the cost of generating electricity
with solar collectors.
Making electricity with solar energy
is a rapidly changing technology.
It was extremely expensive
throughout the 20th century.
Which statement is false?