Homework Help Forum: Math

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, August 28, 2009 at 4:34pm.

What is the percent increase in the population for all six inhabited continents from 1950 - 2000? 1950 2000 N.America 221,000,000 305,000,000 S.America 111,000,000 515,000,000 Europe 392,000,000 510,000,000 Africa 229,000,000 889,000,000 Oceana 12,000,000 32,000,000 Antarct. 2,556,000,000 6,279,000,000 the answer I got was 83% can someone check my answer and if I did not get it correct can someone give me the correct way of figuring it out Thank you...

• Math - MathMate, Friday, August 28, 2009 at 5:03pm

  It is still South America that leads every other listed continent (Asia is absent from the list). The answer is more than 350%. Use the same method described in the previous question.

  
  

• Math - Ms. Sue, Friday, August 28, 2009 at 5:10pm

  Also -- the figures for Antarctica are definitely wrong. Antarctica has no permanent population. Perhaps those figures are for Asia.

  
  

• Math - Anonymous, Friday, August 28, 2009 at 5:17pm

  I guess what I'm confused about is what numbers do I divide?

  
  

• Math - Ms. Sue, Friday, August 28, 2009 at 5:37pm

  As a non mathematician, I play around with the numbers until I get a reasonable answer. MathMate has told you that your answer will be more than 350%. I'd add all of the 1950 figures and subtract from all of the 2000 figures. Then divide.

  
  

• Math - MathMate, Friday, August 28, 2009 at 5:39pm

  You're right, Ms Sue. The population of Asia was 3451 millions in 1995 according to the following link: http://www.hist.umn.edu/~rmccaa/lademotr/sld002.htm

  
  

• Math - MathMate, Friday, August 28, 2009 at 5:51pm

  Oops, you're right again, Ms Sue. The population increase for South America alone is more than 350%, but the question asks the population of all 6 continents. So proceed as Ms Sue described, add up the populations in 1950 (a), and those of 2000 (b). Subtract (a) from (b) and divide by (a), the original back in 1950. The percentage will be ((b)-(a))/(a) * 100% I have more than 125%, check my calculations.

  
  

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