Final answer:
The United States surpassed Britain in the number of new inventions being patented approximately 70 years after the first patent law was signed, making the closest answer (d) 75 years.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is asking how long after the first patent law was signed in 1790 did it take for the United States to surpass Britain in the number of new inventions being patented. Considering the historical data, we can see that in 1790, the U.S. Patent Office recorded only 276 inventions, and by 1860, this number had increased to 60,000 patents issued. There was an explosive growth between 1860 and 1890, when the number of patents grew to nearly 450,000. This surge in patents was a reflection of the dramatic increase in inventive activity in America and marked the nation's transition toward an industrial-based economy. Therefore, the answer to the question is 70 years, making the correct choice (d) 75 years, as it would be the closest approximation provided by the multiple-choice options.