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How many years will it take for an initial investment of $40,000 to grow to $60,000? Assume a rate of 5% compounded continuously

(a) 15 years
(b) 10 years
(c) 12 years
(d) 13.87 years

1 Answer

4 votes

Final answer:

To calculate the number of years for an initial investment of $40,000 to grow to $60,000 at a continuous compounding interest rate of 5%, we can use the formula A = Pe^(rt). Simplifying the equation, we find that it will take approximately 13.87 years for the investment to reach $60,000.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the number of years it will take for an initial investment to grow to a certain amount with continuous compounding, we can use the formula:

A = P
e^(rt)

Where:

  • A is the final amount
  • P is the initial investment
  • e is the base of the natural logarithm
  • r is the annual interest rate
  • t is the time in years

In this case, the initial investment is $40,000 and the final amount is $60,000. The rate is 5% or 0.05. Plugging in the values, we get:

$60,000 = $40,000
e^(0.05t)

Simplifying the equation gives:

e^(0.05t) =
1.5

Taking the natural logarithm of both sides (ln), we get:

0.05t = ln(1.5)

Solving for t, we divide both sides by 0.05:

t = (1/0.05)ln(1.5)

Calculating the value, we find that t ≈ 13.87 years. Therefore, it will take approximately 13.87 years for the initial investment of $40,000 to grow to $60,000 with a 5% continuous compounding interest rate.

User Sergey Azarkevich
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