In 1992, Chad and Denmark each had a population of about 5.2 million. However, the relative growth rate for Chad was 2.5% per year, which Denmark was 0.1% per year.

Question

a. assuming exponential growth and the given growth rate, make projections for the population of each nation in the year 2010.

b. when might the population of Chad reach 10 million? What would the population of Denmark be at this time?

Answer 1

time from 1992 to 2010 = 18 years

Denmark:
pop = 5.2 e(18(.001)) = appr 5.29 million

Chad:
pop = 5.2 e(18(.025)) = 8.2 million

when is
10 = 5.2 e^(.025t)
1.923077 = e^ .025t
.025t = ln 1.923077
t = 26.16 years or in appr 26 years or in 2018

(in 2010 it was 12.7 million)