Year 9 Science · Unit 3 · Lesson 16
Challenge Worksheet
Learning Goals
Read the graph
Levelised Cost of Electricity (LCOE) by Technology, Australia 2023
Data: CSIRO/AEMO GenCost 2023–24 (approximate values)
(a) Which technology has the lowest LCOE, and approximately how much cheaper is it than new coal per MWh?
(b) Nuclear SMR costs less per MWh than gas peaker. Suggest ONE reason Australia might still not build nuclear power stations, despite this cost advantage.
(c) Based on this data, predict which technology is most likely to dominate new investment in Australia over the next decade. Justify your prediction using TWO pieces of evidence from the graph.
Find the mistake
A student wrote this essay
"Australia's electricity comes from a mix of renewable and non-renewable sources. Wind power is always available 24/7 because Australia is such a large and windy continent. Nuclear power stations produce large amounts of CO₂ during operation, which is why most countries are moving away from nuclear energy. Australia stores surplus renewable energy using pumped hydro, which stores energy as chemical energy in water. The National Electricity Market (NEM) covers all of Australia, including Western Australia and the Northern Territory, ensuring every home is connected to the same grid."
This student essay contains FOUR scientific errors. For each error below, identify the mistake and write the correct version.
Error 1. Find the error about wind power availability and correct it.
Error 2. Find the error about nuclear power and CO₂, and correct it.
Error 3. Find the error about how pumped hydro stores energy, and correct it.
Error 4. Find the error about the NEM's geographic coverage, and correct it.
Wrap Up
In one sentence, what was the main idea of this lesson?