Final answer:
Joanna's total interest paid on the loan was $1660. Using the simple interest formula, the time of the loan is calculated to be 4.625 years, which is rounded to the nearest whole number, leading to the answer of 5 years.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the length or time of Joanna's loan, we first need to calculate the total interest paid over the life of the loan. The total amount paid for the loan was $6160, and the principal amount was $4500. Thus, the total interest paid is $6160 - $4500 = $1660.
Using the simple interest formula, Interest (I) = Principal (P) x Rate (r) x Time (t), with the interest rate given as 8% or 0.08 when expressed as a decimal, we can solve for time (t).
We know that:
- Interest (I) = $1660
- Principal (P) = $4500
- Rate (r) = 0.08
Therefore, the formula becomes:
$1660 = $4500 x 0.08 x t
By rearranging the formula to solve for time (t), we get:
t = $1660 / ($4500 x 0.08)
t = 4.625 years
Since time is usually measured in whole years for loans and the answer needs to be a whole number, we can conclude that the closest whole number is 5 years.
Thus, the correct answer is A. 5 years.