Question

The population is a Midwest industrial town decreased from 224,000 to 221,000 in just 4 years. Assuming that this trend continues, what will the population be after an additional 5 years?

Answer 1

By calculating the annual rate of population decrease and projecting it over the next 5 years, we find that the population of the Midwest industrial town is expected to be 217,250 in 5 years, assuming a steady trend.

Step-by-step explanation:

The population of an industrial town in the Midwest decreased from 224,000 to 221,000 over 4 years. This change in population represents a decrease of 3,000 people over 4 years. If we assume that the rate of population decrease continues steadily, we can predict the future population after an additional 5 years.

To do this, we first calculate the annual rate of population decrease:

• Population decrease per year = Total decrease over 4 years ÷ 4 = 3,000 ÷ 4 = 750 people per year.

Now, we will multiply the annual decrease by the number of additional years to find the overall decrease:

• Total decrease over the next 5 years = Annual decrease × 5 years = 750 people × 5 = 3,750 people.

Finally, we subtract this number from the current population to predict the future population:

• Future population = Current population - Total decrease over the next 5 years = 221,000 - 3,750 = 217,250 people.

Therefore, if the current trend continues, the population is expected to be 217,250 in 5 years.

Answer 2

227750

Step-by-step explanation:

If we assume that the rate of increase in population is linear, then in 4 years the increase in population is (224000 - 221000) = 3000.

So, the rate of increase in population is
`(3000)/(4) = 750` persons per year.

Now, we have to calculate the population of the town after an additional 5 years.

So, the population in 5 years will increase by (750 × 5) = 3750

Therefore, the population after an additional 5 years will be (224000 + 3750) = 227750. (Answer)