Final answer:
Mike will have approximately $31,366 in his savings account after 18 years, with an initial deposit of $20,000 and an annual interest rate of 2.5% compounded continuously.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine how much money Mike will have in his savings account after 18 years when the interest is compounded continuously at an annual rate of 2.5%, we use the formula for continuous compounding:
A = Pert
where:
- A is the amount of money accumulated after n years, including interest.
- P is the principal amount (the initial amount of money).
- r is the annual interest rate (decimal).
- t is the time in years.
In Mike's case, P = $20000, r = 0.025 (2.5% written as a decimal), and t = 18. Plugging these values into the formula gives us:
A = 20000e(0.025)(18)
Next, we calculate the exponent part using a calculator:
e(0.025)(18) ≈ e0.45 ≈ 1.5683
Then we multiply this by the principal amount:
A = 20000 * 1.5683 ≈ $31366
Therefore, after 18 years, Mike will have approximately $31,366 in his savings account.