Question 1207428:  For how many years will Prasad make payments on the $28,000 he borrowed to start his machine shop if he makes payments of $3400 at the end of every three months and interest is 8.08% compounded semi-annually?  
 Answer by ikleyn(52903)      (Show Source): 
You can  put this solution on YOUR website! . 
For how many years will Prasad make payments on the $28,000 he borrowed to start his machine shop  
if he makes payments of $3400 at the end of every three months and interest is 8.08% compounded semi-annually? 
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        The scheme of payments/compounding is non-standard and it is not totally clear how to it really works.
 
 
        So,  in my solution I will make some assumptions,  but I am not sure if they are adequate.
 
 
        In any case,  I will try.
 
 
 
It is equivalent to semi-annual payments on the loan with semi-annual payments of 2*3400 = 6800 dollars,
while the loan is compounded semi-annually.
 
So, use the formula for semi-annual payments for a loan
    M =  
where P is the loan amount; r =   is the effective interest rate semi-annually;
n is the number of payments (same as the number of semi-annual periods); 
M is the semi-annual payment of $6800.
In this problem  M = 6800;  P = $28000;  r =  .
Substitute these values into the formula and get for semi-annual payments
   6800 =  .
We should find "n" from this equation.
Divide both sides by 28000.  You will get
      =  ,
or
    0.242857143 =  .
It implies, step by step
      =  ,
    6.011315417 =  ,
      =  ,
    0.166352941 =  ,
    
      = 1 - 0.166352941,
      = 0.833647059,
      =  ,
      = 1.199548405.
Take logarithm base 10
    n*log(1+0.0808/2) = ln(1.199548405)
and find "n"
    n =   = 4.59.
From these calculations, I make the conclusion that input data in the problem are incorrect,
since they lead to the non-integer number of semi-annual payments.
 
 
 
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