Final answer:
The formula for compound interest is
, where A is the amount of money accumulated after n years, P is the principal amount, r is the annual interest rate, n is the number of times interest is compounded per year, and t is the time in years.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding the Formula:
The formula for compound interest is
, where A is the final amount, P is the principal amount, r is the annual interest rate, n is the number of times the interest is compounded per year, and t is the time the money is invested for in years.
Calculating the Balance:
Substituting the given values into the formula, A = 4000 * (1 + 0.03/12 ⁽¹²ˣ¹⁷⁾, the calculation will yield the balance after 17 years for a $4,000 investment at an annual interest rate of 3%, compounded monthly.
Plugging the values into the formula gives us
A = 4000 * (1 + 0.0025)²⁰⁴, simplifying it gives A = 4000 * (1.0025)²⁰⁴, resulting in the balance in the account after 17 years with monthly compounding at approximately $6,048.98.
Compound interest, when calculated using this formula, illustrates the effect of compounding frequency on the growth of an investment over time, showcasing how the interest is added to the principal amount more frequently, leading to higher overall returns.