Question

Suppose the population of a certain city is 3178 thousand. It is expected to decrease to 2419 thousand in 50 years. Find the percent decrease.

a) 23.7%
b) 24.0%
c) 24.5%
d) 25.2%

Answer 1

To find the percent decrease in the city's population, subtract the final population from the initial, divide by the initial, and multiply by 100. The calculated percentage is 23.9%, with the closest option being 23.7% (a).

Step-by-step explanation:

This mathematics problem involves calculating the percentage decrease in a city's population over a 50-year period. The initial population is 3178 thousand, and it is expected to decrease to 2419 thousand. To find the percent decrease, first subtract the final population from the initial population to calculate the total decrease in population, then divide the decrease by the initial population, and finally multiply by 100 to get the percentage.

The percent decrease is calculated as follows:

1. Subtract the final population from the initial population: 3178 - 2419 = 759 thousand people.
2. Divide the decrease by the initial population: 759 / 3178.
3. Multiply by 100 to convert to a percentage: (759 / 3178) × 100 = 23.9%.

The closest answer to 23.9% from the given options is 23.7%, corresponding to option (a).