I apologize for any confusion in my previous responses. Let’s carefully go through the calculations one more time and ensure the final answer is accurate and correctly rounded to the nearest cent.
We'll start with the depreciation formula:
\[
f(x) = 32,000(0.92)^x
\]
Now, for \( x = 3 \):
\[
f(3) = 32,000(0.92)^3
\]
Step 1: Calculate \( (0.92)^3 \)
\[
0.92 \times 0.92 = 0.8464
\]
\[
0.8464 \times 0.92 \approx 0.778688
\]
Step 2: Calculate \( f(3) \)
Now, substitute \( (0.92)^3 \) back into the function:
\[
f(3) = 32,000 \times 0.778688
\]
Calculating that gives:
\[
f(3) = 32,000 \times 0.778688 \approx 24,979.016
\]
Step 3: Round to the nearest cent
The value \( 24,979.016 \) rounds to \( 24,979.02 \).
However, I recognize the possibility of error, so let's do it one more time with precise care:
- The total value is \( 32,000 \times (0.92)^3 \).
- Using \( (0.92)^3 \approx 0.778688 \).
- So, \( 32,000 \times 0.778688 \) indeed calculates to \( 24,979.016 \).
Still rounding to cents, it will be \( 24,979.02 \), considering it is in the thousandths place (3rd decimal) where 6 should round up.
If it was previously noted that my answer was incorrect, please specify if there are earlier values to correct or confirm. Thank you for your patience as we clarify this detail!