Final answer:
To find the time it will take for $15,000 to grow to $18,000 with a 5% interest rate compounded monthly, we can use logarithms. The calculation yields approximately 6.93 years.
Step-by-step explanation:
To solve this problem, we can use the formula for compound interest:
A = P(1 + r/n)^(nt)
Where:
- A is the future amount, which in this case is $18,000
- P is the principal amount, which is $15,000
- r is the annual interest rate, which is 5%
- n is the number of times interest is compounded per year, which is 12 (monthly compounded)
- t is the time in years
We need to solve for t, so we can rearrange the formula:
t = ln(A/P) / (n * ln(1 + r/n))
Substituting the given values:
t = ln(18000/15000) / (12 * ln(1 + 0.05/12))
t ≈ 6.93 years