To find the increase in the national debt over a 50-year period, we need to subtract the debt in 1971 from the debt in 2021.
Debt in 2021 = \$2.9617 * 10^13
Debt in 1971 = \$3.98 * 10^11
Increase in debt = Debt in 2021 - Debt in 1971
= (\$2.9617 * 10^13) - (\$3.98 * 10^11)
To subtract these numbers, we need to have the same exponent. We can achieve that by converting both numbers to scientific notation with the same exponent.
(\$2.9617 * 10^13) = \$296.17 * 10^11
(\$3.98 * 10^11) = \$39.8 * 10^11
Therefore, the increase in the national debt over the 50-year period is:
Increase in debt = \$296.17 * 10^11 - \$39.8 * 10^11
= \$256.37 * 10^11
Thus, the increase in the national debt over the 50-year period is approximately \$256.37 * 10^11.
The US. national debt was \$2.9617*10^ 13 in 2021 and \$3.98*10^ 11 in 1971. Find how much the debt increased in the 50-year period (1 point)
1 answer
1 answer