Final answer:
To calculate how much money Austin borrowed, we rearrange the simple interest formula I = PRT, where P is the principal. Given the total interest I = $160, the annual rate R = 5%, and time T = 4 years, we find P to be $800.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question involves calculating the amount borrowed based on the total simple interest paid over a period of time. To find out how much Austin borrowed from the credit union, we use the formula for simple interest: I = PRT, where I is the interest, P is the principal amount (the initial amount borrowed), R is the annual interest rate (as a decimal), and T is the time in years. Given that the total interest paid was $160, the annual interest rate was 5%, and the time was 4 years, we can rearrange the formula to solve for P.
Substituting the known values into the formula, we get: $160 = P * 0.05 * 4. Simplifying this, we have $160 = 0.2P, or P = $160 / 0.2, which gives us P = $800. Thus, Austin borrowed $800.