To find the balance of an investment with compound interest, you can use the formula:
\[ A = P(1 + r)^n \]
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.
For your friend's parents:
- \( P = 10,000 \)
- \( r = 0.04 \) (4% as a decimal)
- \( n = 8 \)
Now plugging in the values:
\[ A = 10000(1 + 0.04)^8 \] \[ A = 10000(1.04)^8 \] \[ A \approx 10000 \times 1.3685696 \] \[ A \approx 13685.70 \]
So the balance after 8 years will be approximately $13,685.70 (rounded to the nearest cent).