Final answer:
To calculate the number of African-American-owned firms in 1992 before a 26% increase to 823,500 in 1997, divide 823,500 by 1.26. The result is approximately 653,600 when rounded to the nearest hundred.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is asking about finding the original number of African-American owned firms before a 26% increase occurred, resulting in 823,500 firms in 1997.
To find the number of firms in 1992, we use the formula:
Original number = Increased number / (1 + Percentage increase)
In this case:
Original number = 823,500 / (1 + 0.26)
Original number = 823,500 / 1.26
Original number = 653,571.4286
When rounded to the nearest hundred, the number of African-American owned firms in 1992 would be:
Original number ≈ 653,600