The U.S. generates an estimated 2 million tons of e-waste each year. At this rate, how many pounds of e-waste does the U.S. generate in one week? Express the answer in scientific notation. Use the relationships below to help you decide:

Question

1 ton = 2,000 pounds
1 year ≈ 52 weeks

Answer 1

So, just watch the units. You want to convert from ton/yr to lb/wk. So,

2*10^6ton/yr * 1yr/52wk * 2000lb/ton = 1*10^9/13 = 7.69*10^7 lb/wk