Question

The student population at Oak Mountain High School for a given year can be modeled by the function P(t)=550(1.12)^t , where t is the number of years since 1995. How many students were there in 1995?

Answer 1

550 students

Explanation:

Answer 2

There were 550 students in the school in the year 1995

Explanation:

In this question, given the exponential equation, we are asked to calculate the number of students in a particular year.

The exponential equation expected to be used is given as;

P(t) = 550(1.12)^t

Now we are told that t is the number of years since 1995 and we are told to calculate the number of students in that same year 1995. Thus, the value of t would be 1995-1995 = 0

We substitute this value of t into the equation;

P(0) = 550(1.12)^0

Since anything raised to the power of zero is 1, then ;

P(0) = 550 * 1 = 550