Question

A town has a population of 17,900 and shrinks at a rate of 9% every year. Which equation represents the town’s population after 5 years? a. P(t) = 17,900 x (1 - 0.09)ᵗ b. P(t) = 17,900 x (1 + 0.09)ᵗ c. P(t) = 17,900 x (1 - 0.09)⁻ᵗ d. P(t) = 17,900 x (1 + 0.09)⁻ᵗ

Answer 1

The equation that represents the town's population after 5 years is P(t) = 17,900 x (1 - 0.09)^t (option a).

Step-by-step explanation:

The equation that represents the town's population after 5 years is P(t) = 17,900 x (1 - 0.09)t (option a).

To calculate the population after 5 years, we need to multiply the initial population of 17,900 by the growth rate of 1 - 0.09 (which represents a shrinkage of 9%) raised to the power of 5.

So the correct equation is P(t) = 17,900 x (1 - 0.09)5, which can be simplified as P(t) = 17,900 x (0.91)5.