Question

The percent increase in Americans in prison for drug related offenses from 1980 to 2015 was 1048%. In 1980 the number of Americans in prison for drug related offenses was 40,900. How many American's were in prison for drug related offenses in 2015?

Answer 1

469,532 Americans

Explanation:

The number of Americans in prison for drug related offenses from 1980 = 40,900

Percentage increase = 1048%

Let the number of people in prison for drug related offenses in 2015 be 'x'

Percentage increase =
`\frac{\text{New value-old value}}{\text{old value}}* 100`

`(1048)/(100)` =
`(x-40,900)/(40,900)`

`(1048* 40,900)/(100)=x-40,900`

x = (1048 × 409) +40,900

x = 428632 +40,900

x = 469532

469,532 Americans were in prison for drug related offenses in 2015.