Answer: 23 years
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Work Shown:
P = 1000 is the amount deposited
We want this value to double to A = 2000 which is the amount in the account at time t (in years).
r = 0.03 represents the interest rate in decimal form.
The value of t is unknown but we can solve for it like so
![A = Pe^(rt)\\\\2000 = 1000e^(0.03t)\\\\2 = e^(0.03t)\\\\\ln(2) = \ln\left(e^(0.03t)\right)\\\\\ln(2) = 0.03t\ln\left(e\right)\\\\\ln(2) = 0.03t*1\\\\\ln(2) = 0.03t\\\\](https://img.qammunity.org/2021/formulas/mathematics/college/gslxuk99k8wzrtuyxv2c386nk7j51w0i1t.png)
![0.03t = \ln(2)\\\\t = (\ln(2))/(0.03)\\\\t \approx 23.1049060186649\\\\t \approx 23\\\\](https://img.qammunity.org/2021/formulas/mathematics/college/1mv5v76nt0tbxirbarck8d3659tnpmzue0.png)
It will take about 23 years for the amount to double.
As a check,
![A = 1000e^(0.03t)\\\\A \approx 1000e^(0.03*23.104906)\\\\A \approx 1,999.9999988806\\\\A \approx 2000\\\\](https://img.qammunity.org/2021/formulas/mathematics/college/etv16pbadrl8y6ztimzz1auw66z02lxf8m.png)
which helps show that after roughly 23 years, we'll have about 2000 dollars in the account.
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Side note: Use of the rule of 72 leads to 72/3 = 24. The '3' is from the 3% interest rate. So the rule of 72 says it will take about 24 years for the amount to double. This isn't too far off from the 23 answer we got.