Question

When Martin was born, his father set up a $5,000 college fund for him with an annual compound interest rate of 7.3%.

What is the total value of this account after 18 years, and what was the interest earned on the account? Round the answers to two decimal places.

Answers

GPT-4o mini
To calculate the total value of the college fund after 18 years with an annual compound interest rate of 7.3%, we can use the formula for compound interest:

\[
A = P(1 + r)^n
\]

where:
- \( A \) is the amount of money accumulated after n years, including interest.
- \( P \) is the principal amount (the initial amount of money).
- \( r \) is the annual interest rate (decimal).
- \( n \) is the number of years the money is invested or borrowed.

In this case:
- \( P = 5000 \)
- \( r = 0.073 \)
- \( n = 18 \)

Now we can substitute these values into the formula:

\[
A = 5000 \times (1 + 0.073)^{18}
\]

Calculating \( 1 + 0.073 \):

\[
1 + 0.073 = 1.073
\]

Now we raise this to the power of 18:

\[
1.073^{18} \approx 3.478
\]

Now we multiply by the principal amount:

\[
A \approx 5000 \times 3.478 \approx 17390.09
\]

So, the total amount in the account after 18 years is approximately **$17,390.09**.

Next, to find the interest earned, we subtract the principal from the total amount:

\[
\text{Interest} = A - P = 17390.09 - 5000 = 12390.09
\]

Thus, the interest earned on the account is approximately **$12,390.09**.

In conclusion:
- Total value of the account after 18 years: **$17,390.09**
- Interest earned on the account: **$12,390.09**