Kevin invested in a savings bond for two years and was paid simple interest at an annual rate of 2%. The total interest that he earned was $80. How much did he invest? If necessary refer to the list of financial formulas.

1 answer

To calculate the initial investment amount, Kevin made in the savings bond, we can use the simple interest formula:

\[ I = P \times r \times t \]

where:
- \( I \) is the total interest earned ($80),
- \( P \) is the principal amount (the initial investment we are trying to find),
- \( r \) is the annual interest rate (2% or 0.02 as a decimal),
- \( t \) is the time the money is invested in years (2 years).

We rearrange the formula to solve for \( P \):

\[ P = \frac{I}{r \times t} \]

Now, we substitute \( I \), \( r \), and \( t \) with known values:

\[ P = \frac{80}{0.02 \times 2} \]

\[ P = \frac{80}{0.04} \]

\[ P = 2000 \]

Kevin invested $2000 in a savings bond.