Final answer:
To find the annual simple interest, use the formula I = P * r * t. Substituting the given values, we can find that the interest rate is 0.0265 or 2.65%.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the annual simple interest, we can use the formula I = P * r * t, where I is the interest, P is the principal amount, r is the interest rate, and t is the time in years.
In this case, P = $509 and t = 2 years. We need to solve for r.
Substituting the given values, I = $27, P = $509, and t = 2, we have:
$27 = $509 * r * 2
Simplifying, we get:
r = $27 / ($509 * 2)
r = 0.0265
So, the interest rate is 0.0265 or 2.65%