Totals vs Rates

Per person, per year, per mile

An interactive lesson with 6 steps, about 5 minutes: you predict, drag and solve, with instant feedback on every answer. It runs in your browser and needs JavaScript.

What you’ll learn

• Totals scale with population; rates allow fair comparison.
• Choose the denominator that matches the question (people, homes, miles driven).
• Cumulative charts always rise; check their slope for the real trend.

Steps

1. Big places have big numbers
2. Which is safer?
3. The safest age to drive?
4. Cumulative charts
5. Equal rates
6. Per capita