The U.S. national debt was $2.9617 × 1013 in 2021 and

Question

$3.98 × 1011 in 1971. Find how much the debt increased in the 50-year period.
(1 point)
• $1.0183 × 1024
• $2.9219 × 1013
• $2.9219 × 1011
• $3.0015 × 1013

Answer 1

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

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

Step 1: Align the numbers for subtraction

To perform the subtraction accurately, we should express both numbers in the same exponent of 10. We'll express \( 3.98 \times 10^{11} \) in terms of \( 10^{13} \):

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

Step 2: Subtract

Now we can subtract the two values:

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

Calculating the subtraction:

\[ 2.9617 - 0.0398 = 2.9219 \]

Thus:

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

Conclusion

The increase in the U.S. national debt from 1971 to 2021 is:

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