Question

The U.S national dept was $2.9617x10-^13 in 2021 and $3.98x10^11 in 1971. Find how much debt increased in the 50 year period As a scientific notation.

Answer 1

To find the increase in U.S. national debt between 1971 and 2021, we need to subtract the debt in 1971 from the debt in 2021.

1. **Debt in 2021:** \( 2.9617 \times 10^{13} \)
2. **Debt in 1971:** \( 3.98 \times 10^{11} \)

Now, we can align these numbers for easier subtraction. It helps to express both values with the same exponent:

- Convert the 1971 debt to match the exponent of the 2021 debt:

\[
3.98 \times 10^{11} = 0.0398 \times 10^{13}
\]

Now we can find the increase in debt:

\[
\text{Increase} = (2.9617 \times 10^{13}) - (0.0398 \times 10^{13})
\]

\[
= (2.9617 - 0.0398) \times 10^{13}
\]

\[
= 2.9219 \times 10^{13}
\]

Thus, the increase in the U.S. national debt from 1971 to 2021 is

\[
\boxed{2.9219 \times 10^{13}}
\]