The U.S. national debt was $2.9617×1013 in 2021 and $3.98×1011 in 1971. Find how much the debt increased in the 50-year period.
To find how much the debt increased in the 50-year period, we need to subtract the 1971 debt from the 2021 debt.
$2.9617×10^{13} - $3.98×10^{11} = $29,817×10^{11} - $3.98×10^{11}
Since the exponent of both terms are the same, we can subtract the coefficients directly:
$29,817 - $3.98 = $29,813.02
The debt increased by approximately $29,813.02 billion in the 50-year period.