Final answer:
To find the previous population of a city that decreased by 24%, divide the current population by 0.76. The previous population was 67,500.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student has asked how to find the previous population of a city when the current population is known, and the population has decreased by a certain percentage. In this case, we are given that the current population is 51,300 and it has decreased by 24% from its previous amount. To calculate the original population, we can think of the current population as being 76% (100% - 24%) of the original population.
To find the original population, we divide the current population by 76% (or 0.76). So the calculation would be:
Original Population = Current Population / (1 - Percentage Decrease)
Original Population = 51,300 / 0.76
Original Population = 67,500
Therefore, the previous population of the city was 67,500 before it decreased by 24%.