SOLUTION: In​ 2012, the population of a city was 5.21 million. The exponential growth rate was ​2.86% per year. a) Find the exponential growth function. ​b) Estimate the popula

Algebra ->  Coordinate Systems and Linear Equations  -> Linear Equations and Systems Word Problems -> SOLUTION: In​ 2012, the population of a city was 5.21 million. The exponential growth rate was ​2.86% per year. a) Find the exponential growth function. ​b) Estimate the popula      Log On


   



Question 1171138:
In​ 2012, the population of a city was 5.21 million. The exponential growth rate was ​2.86% per year.
a) Find the exponential growth function.
​b) Estimate the population of the city in 2018.
​c) When will the population of the city be 9 ​million?
​d) Find the doubling time.

Found 2 solutions by Theo, ankor@dixie-net.com:
Answer by Theo(13342) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
general form of exponential formula is y = a * b^x
a is a constant.
b is the base
x is the exponent.

in this problem, a = 5.21 million and b = 1 + 2.86%/100 = 1.0286.

in 2012, the population was 5.21 million.
in 2018, the population will be 5.21 * 1.0286 ^ (2018 - 2012) = 5.21 * 1.0286 ^ 6 = 6.170450081 million.

to find when the population will be 9 million, your equation becomes:
9 = 5.21 * 1.0286 ^ x
divide both sides of this formula by 5.21 to get:
9/5.21 = 1.0286 ^ x
take the log of both sides of thie equation to get:
log(9/5.21) = log(1.0286^x)
since log(1.0286^x) = x * log(1.0286), the equation becomes:
log(9/5.21) = x * log(1.0286)
divide both sides of this equation by log(1.0286) to get:
log(9/5.21) / log(1.0286) = x
solve for x to get:
x = 19.38548963.
confirm by replace x in the original equation to get:
9 = 5.21 * 1.0286 ^ 19.38548963 becomes 9 = 9.
this confirms the value of x is good.
the population will grow to 9 million in 19.38548963 years.

to find when the population will double, the equation becomes:
2 = 1 * 1.0286 ^ x
simplify to get:
2 = 1.0286 ^ x
take the log of both sides of this equation to get:
log(2) = log(1.0286 ^ x)
since log(1.0286 ^ x) = x * log(1.0286), this equation becomes:
log(2) = x * log(1.0286)
solve for x to get:
x = log(2) / log(1.0286) = 24.5808602.
to confirm this is true, replace x in the original equation to get:
2 = 1.0286 ^ 24.5808602 which becomes 2 = 2.
this confirms the value of x is true.
the population will double in 24.5808602 years.





Answer by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
In​ 2012, the population of a city was 5.21 million. The exponential growth rate was ​2.86% per year.
a) Find the exponential growth function.
t - time in years, pop in millions
f%28t%29+=+5.21%281.0286%29%5Et
:
​b) Estimate the population of the city in 2018.
t = 6 yrs
f%28t%29+=+5.21%281.0286%29%5E6
f(t) = 5.21 * 1.1843
f(t) = 6.17 million in 2018 (6 yrs)
:
​c) When will the population of the city be 9 ​million?
5.21%281.0286%29%5Et+=+9
%281.0286%29%5Et+=+9%2F5.21
%281.0286%29%5Et+=+1.727
use common logs here
t*log(1.0286) = log(1.727)
t+=+log%281.727%29%2Flog%281.086%29
use your calc
t = 19.37 yrs
:
​d) Find the doubling time.
%281.0286%29%5Et+=+2
t = log%282%29%2Flog%281.086%29
t = 24.59 yrs to double