Final answer:
The balance in the compound interest formula represents the total amount of money in the account after a certain period of time. It includes both the initial principal and the accumulated interest.
Step-by-step explanation:
The balance in the compound interest formula represents the total amount of money in the account after a certain period of time. It includes both the initial principal and the accumulated interest. Here is how the formula works:
- Start with the principal amount.
- Multiply the principal by 1 plus the annual interest rate in decimal form.
- Raise the result to the power of the number of times the interest is compounded per year.
- Finally, subtract the initial principal from the final value to get the balance.