Answer: it will take 27.8 years for the populations of the towns to be equal.
Explanation:
Let x represent the number of years it will take for the populations of the towns to be equal.
A town's population is 14,000, and it is INCREASING by 160 people every year. This means that the town's population after x years is
160x + 14000
A nearby town has population of 24,000 and is DECREASING by 200 every year. This means that the town's population after x years is
24000 - 200x
For the population to be the same, the number of years would be
160x + 14000 = 24000 - 200x
160x + 200x = 24000 - 14000
360x = 10000
x = 10000/360
x = 27.8 years