Choose a number greater than 5,000 and less than 10,000 for the value of p.

Based on the percentage change you chose in part b, calculate the estimated
current population of Concord, rounding to the nearest whole number if
needed. Explain why you used the expression you did to make your calculation. percent -3% and 6742 people

1 answer

To calculate the estimated current population of Concord using your specified value of \( p = 6742 \) and a percentage change of \(-3%\), we will first find the original population before the decrease.

  1. Understanding the percentage change: A percentage change of \(-3%\) means the population decreased by 3%. Therefore, the current population can be represented as: \[ \text{Current Population} = p \times (1 - \text{Percentage Change}) \] Here, the percentage change is \(-3%\), which we convert to a decimal by dividing by 100: \[ 1 - (-0.03) = 1 - 0.03 = 0.97 \]

  2. Setting up the equation: Now substituting the chosen population \( p = 6742 \) into the equation: \[ \text{Current Population} = 6742 \times 0.97 \]

  3. Calculating the estimated current population: \[ \text{Current Population} = 6742 \times 0.97 = 6539.74 \]

  4. Rounding to the nearest whole number: Rounding \( 6539.74 \) gives us approximately: \[ \text{Current Population} \approx 6540 \]

Explanation of the expression used:

The expression \( p \times (1 - \text{Percentage Change}) \) is used because it effectively calculates the new value after a percentage decrease. The term \( (1 - \text{Percentage Change}) \) represents the remaining percentage of the original population after accounting for the decrease. Multiplying by \( p \) gives us the current population after the specified decrease.

Thus, the estimated current population of Concord, based on your numbers, is approximately 6540 people.