Final answer:
Using the formula to calculate the population 10 years ago based on a 6% annual growth rate, the past population would be approximately 338,180, which is not an option provided. This points to possibly needing to review the question's details or options given.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is asking about the past population of the District of Columbia, given a current population and an average annual growth rate. The calculation involves finding the population 10 years ago based on the given growth rate of 6% per year.
To find the population 10 years ago, we would use the formula P = P0 / (1 + r)^n, where P is the final population (572,000), P0 is the initial population we want to find, r is the growth rate (0.06 for 6%), and n is the number of years (10).
Solving for P0 gives us P0 = P / (1 + r)^n, which becomes P0 = 572,000 / (1 + 0.06)^10. Calculating this gives us an approximate population of 338,180, which when rounded to the nearest person is 338,180. However, this is not one of the options given. Reviewing the question details might be necessary, but given the information, this would be the calculated answer.