Final answer:
Using the exponential growth formula, the city's population, currently at 550,000 and growing at 5% per year, will approximately reach 1,175,000 in 15 years.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question involves calculating future population size based on a constant growth rate, which is a mathematical problem that can be solved using the concept of exponential growth. Given a current population of 550,000 and an annual growth rate of 5%, we can use the formula for exponential growth:
P(t) = P0 × (1 + r)t
Where:
- P(t) is the population at time t
- P0 is the initial population size (550000)
- r is the growth rate (0.05 for 5%)
- t is the number of years into the future (15 years)
Applying these numbers to the formula:
P(15) = 550000 × (1 + 0.05)15
Calculating the expression gives us:
P(15) ≈ 550000 × (1.05)15 ≈ 1175000 (Approximately)
Therefore, if the population growth rate of 5% per year remains the same, the population of the city will be approximately 1,175,000 in 15 years, which is the year 2035.