Compare energy and mineral options by costs and benefits

Grade 9 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Use the table

   U.S. utility-scale electricity, 2025 (EIA)

   Source	Share of generation	Capacity factor
   Natural gas	about 41%	58.7% (combined cycle)
   Nuclear	about 18%	91.1%
   Coal	about 17%	48.8%
   Wind	about 11%	33.8%
   Solar	about 7%	24.0% (photovoltaic)
   Hydropower	about 6%	34.4%

2. 1.

   Using the EIA table, which source made the most U.S. utility-scale electricity in 2025, by Ari's reading?

   • Natural gas, about 41%
   • Nuclear, with the top capacity factor of 91.1%
   • Wind, about 11%
   • Coal, about 17%
3. 2.

   Using the EIA table, about what share came from wind and solar together, by Bo's math?

   • About 7%
   • About 18%
   • About 57.8%
   • About 41%
4. 3.

   EIA: renewables made about 24% of U.S. utility-scale electricity in 2025. About what share did they make in 1990, by Kira's reading?

   • About 36%
   • About 2%
   • About 12%
   • About 48%

5. Table, Trade-offs named by EIA, with columns Source, Benefit, Trade-off

   Solar, no fuel burned, land clearing can affect habitats; some plants use water; Wind, no air emissions or cooling water, effects on birds and bats; Hydropower, no fuel burned, dams may block fish and change rivers; Nuclear, no CO₂ while running, radioactive waste; Natural gas, fewer emissions than coal, drilling disturbs land; methane leaks; Coal, steady fuel supply, mines change land, which must be reclaimed.

6. 4.

   Using the trade-off table, which trade-off does EIA name for wind, by Jun's reading?

   • Large CO₂ emissions from each turbine while it runs, like a coal plant
   • No trade-offs of any kind to weigh
   • Radioactive waste from each turbine
   • No air emissions or cooling water, but effects on birds and bats
7. 5.

   Using the trade-off table, which trade-off does EIA name for nuclear power, by Milo's reading?

   • Large CO₂ emissions while running, with no waste
   • It needs cloudy, calm days to run
   • No waste and no trade-offs of any kind to weigh
   • No CO₂ while running, but it makes radioactive waste

8. Table, CO₂ from generation, 2023 (EIA), with columns Source, CO₂ per kWh

   Coal, about 2.31 pounds; Natural gas, about 0.96 pounds; Petroleum, about 2.46 pounds; Nuclear, hydro, wind and solar, none while running.

9. 6.

   Using the CO₂ table, about how much CO₂ does coal power give off per kWh, by Noah's reading (EIA)?

   • Zero while running
   • About 2.31 pounds
   • About 0.96 pounds
   • About 2.46 pounds
10. 7.

    Using the CO₂ table, which gives off less CO₂ per kWh, coal or natural gas, by Pia's reading (EIA)?

    • Coal, about 0.96 pounds per kWh
    • Coal, about 2.31 pounds per kWh
    • They give off the same amount
    • Natural gas, about 0.96 pounds per kWh

11. Table, Metals and recycling (USGS 2024; EIA), with columns Measure, Figure

    Aluminum from old scrap, about 37% of U.S. use; Aluminum from all scrap, about 3.6 million tons, 44% of it old scrap; Copper from scrap, about 35% of U.S. supply; Energy for cans from recycled aluminum, about 95% less than from ore.

12. 8.

    Using the metals table, about how much of U.S. aluminum use did old scrap match in 2024, by Tala's reading (USGS)?

    • About 37%
    • About 63%
    • About 95%
    • About 3.6%
13. 9.

    Using the metals table, how much less energy does making cans from recycled aluminum use, by Zee's reading (EIA)?

    • About 95% more
    • About 37% less
    • About 95% less
    • About 5% less

14. Table, Trade-offs named by EIA, with columns Source, Benefit, Trade-off

    Solar, no fuel burned, land clearing can affect habitats; some plants use water; Wind, no air emissions or cooling water, effects on birds and bats; Hydropower, no fuel burned, dams may block fish and change rivers; Nuclear, no CO₂ while running, radioactive waste; Natural gas, fewer emissions than coal, drilling disturbs land; methane leaks; Coal, steady fuel supply, mines change land, which must be reclaimed.

15. 10.

    What do U.S. laws require of land after coal mining, by Esme's reading (EIA)?

    • It can be left as an open pit
    • Nothing, since mines leave the land and streams around them unchanged
    • It must be turned into a lake
    • It must be reclaimed close to its original condition