Answer:
(a) in 2001: 150.4 thousand
(b) in 2018: 467.5 thousand
Explanation:
You want the value of the expression modeling the number of students abroad for different values of x. That expression is 123.1(1.069^x).
(a) 2001
The value of x is the difference between the year (2001) and the reference year (1998). In the attachment, we let the calculator find that difference. It tells us, for x = 2001 -1998 = 3, the number of students is about ...
y = 123.1(1.069^3) ≈ 150.4 . . . . thousand
(b) 2018
In 2018, the value of x is 2008 -1998 = 10, and the number of students studying abroad is ...
y = 123.1(1.069^10) ≈ 467.4 . . . . thousand