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)
To find the increase in the national debt over the 50-year period, we need to subtract the initial debt in 1971 from the debt in 2021.
ΔDebt = 2021 Debt - 1971 Debt
ΔDebt = ($2.9617 * 10^13) - ($3.98 * 10^11)
ΔDebt = $29,617,000,000,000 - $398,000,000,000
ΔDebt = $29,219,000,000,000
Therefore, the national debt increased by $29.219 trillion over the 50-year period.