. “The average American lives on $𝐷𝐷 per day” is a common type of statistic used (not just

about Americans either). Using the information above, determine a reasonable amount

that could represent 𝐷𝐷 in this statistic. Be sure to explain your reasoning.

b. Using your average dollar amount per day for an American, for how many days could an

American live on one trillion dollars? How many years is that? Decades? Centuries?

Millennium?

c. The average life expectancy of an American in 2015 was about 79 years

(data.worldbank.org). With this in mind, about how many Americans could live their

whole lives on one trillion dollars?

d. Try to put this in perspective: come up with a good comparison, such as another

grouping that has a similar population size to your value in part c. Explain how you

came up with your values. Explain why your comparison makes sense.

e. Suppose about 35% of expenditure per consumer unit was spend on housing. What

does this figure indicate in terms of how much per month a consumer unit spends on

housing each month? Does this estimation seem reasonable to you?

f. Suppose that inflation saw a 3% increase in the expenditures per consumer unit in 2023.

What is the estimate of the value in 2023?

### Part A: **Determining the Daily Average Expenditure for an American**

To estimate the daily expenditure per American, we need to break down an average annual expenditure. According to recent statistics, the **average annual expenditure per consumer unit in the U.S.** is roughly **$66,000**.

To find the daily expenditure, we can divide the annual amount by the number of days in a year:

\[
\frac{66,000 \, \text{dollars per year}}{365 \, \text{days per year}} = 180.82 \, \text{dollars per day}
\]

Thus, a reasonable estimate for the statistic "The average American lives on **$180.82 per day**" could represent the daily expenditure of an average consumer unit in the U.S.

---

### Part B: **How Long Could an American Live on One Trillion Dollars?**

Next, let's calculate how many days one trillion dollars would last if an American lived on **$180.82 per day**.

First, convert one trillion dollars into a number:

\[
1 \, \text{trillion dollars} = 1,000,000,000,000 \, \text{dollars}
\]

Now, divide one trillion dollars by the daily expenditure:

\[
\frac{1,000,000,000,000}{180.82} \approx 5,531,790,000 \, \text{days}
\]

An American could live for approximately **5.53 billion days** on one trillion dollars.

#### Converting Days into Years, Decades, Centuries, and Millennia:
- **Years**: 
  \[
  \frac{5,531,790,000}{365} \approx 15,153,671 \, \text{years}
  \]
  
- **Decades**:
  \[
  \frac{15,153,671}{10} \approx 1,515,367 \, \text{decades}
  \]
  
- **Centuries**:
  \[
  \frac{15,153,671}{100} \approx 151,537 \, \text{centuries}
  \]
  
- **Millennia**:
  \[
  \frac{15,153,671}{1000} \approx 15,154 \, \text{millennia}
  \]

Thus, an American could live approximately **15.15 million years** or **15,154 millennia** on one trillion dollars, based on $180.82 daily expenditure.

---

### Part C: **How Many Americans Could Live Their Whole Lives on One Trillion Dollars?**

The average life expectancy of an American in 2015 was about **79 years**. To determine how much an American would spend in a lifetime, we multiply the daily expenditure by the number of days in 79 years:

\[
79 \times 365 = 28,835 \, \text{days}
\]

Now, multiply by the daily expenditure:

\[
28,835 \times 180.82 \approx 5,211,784 \, \text{dollars per lifetime}
\]

Now, we can determine how many Americans could live their entire lives on one trillion dollars by dividing one trillion by the lifetime expenditure:

\[
\frac{1,000,000,000,000}{5,211,784} \approx 191,868 \, \text{Americans}
\]

So, approximately **191,868 Americans** could live their entire lives on one trillion dollars.

---

### Part D: **Perspective Comparison**

A population size of **191,868** is comparable to the population of a small city, such as **Salt Lake City, Utah** or **Little Rock, Arkansas**. This comparison makes sense because both cities have populations that are within a similar range, illustrating how many people could theoretically live their entire lives off one trillion dollars.

The comparison helps provide a real-world perspective, making it easier to grasp the vastness of a trillion dollars by relating it to the population of a well-known city.

---

### Part E: **Housing Expenditure Estimate**

If 35% of expenditure per consumer unit is spent on housing, and we assume the **total monthly expenditure** is $3,000:

\[
0.35 \times 3000 = 1050 \, \text{dollars per month on housing}
\]

Thus, $1,050 per month would be spent on housing if total expenditures were $3,000 per month.

This estimate seems reasonable based on typical rent or mortgage payments in many parts of the U.S.

---



“The average American lives on $𝐷𝐷 per day” is a common type of statistic used. Using the information above, determine a reasonable amount that could represent 𝐷𝐷 in this statistic. How many days, years, decades, centuries, or millennia could an American live on one trillion dollars? How many Americans could live their whole lives on one trillion dollars? Use the given assumptions to estimate housing expenditures and inflation impact.

Explore how much an average American spends daily and how long one trillion dollars would last using real-world economic assumptions. Understand daily expenditures, lifespan calculations, housing costs, and inflation estimates, making it a comprehensive guide for high school students.

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