Question

Home Depot sold 19.8 tons of cement in 2013. The amount of cement sold increased by 9.8% from 2013 to 2014 and 5.1% from 2014 to 2015. Which expression represents a strategy for estimating the total output of cement sold, in tons, in 2015?

Answer 1

To estimate the total output of cement sold in 2015, start with the 19.8 tons sold in 2013. Apply the 9.8% increase for 2014 and then the 5.1% increase for 2015 to get the expression 19.8 × 1.098 × 1.051 for the amount sold in 2015.

Step-by-step explanation:

To estimate the total output of cement sold by Home Depot in 2015, we begin with the amount sold in 2013 and apply consecutive percentage increases for each year to find the amount for 2015. The initial amount sold in 2013 was 19.8 tons.

To calculate the amount sold in 2014 with a 9.8% increase, we can use the formula:

Amount in 2014 = 19.8 tons × (1 + 9.8/100) = 19.8 tons × 1.098

For the year 2015, there was an additional 5.1% increase from the 2014 amount. So, we take the amount from 2014 and multiply by (1 + 5.1/100) to find the total estimate for 2015:

Amount in 2015 = Amount in 2014 × (1 + 5.1/100) = 19.8 × 1.098 × (1 + 5.1/100)

Combining the expressions, we get:

Amount in 2015 = 19.8 × 1.098 × 1.051

This expression will provide the estimated total output of cement sold in 2015, factoring in both the increase in 2014 and 2015.