A county planner prepares the following table showing population trends in three local
towns. The first column gives the name of the town. The second column gives the
population as of the last census. The third column gives the estimated increase or
decrease in population since that census, expressed as a percentage of the previous
population.
Town Census Population Percentage Change
Pleasantville x –2%
Amity Center y +5%
Harmony Corners z +7%
a. Choose one of these towns. Use the second and third columns to write two
expressions showing the current estimated population of the town in terms of
x, y, or z.
Let's choose Pleasantville.
We know that the population of Pleasantville at the last census was x, and the estimated decrease in population since then is -2% of the previous population.
Therefore, the current estimated population of Pleasantville can be expressed as:
x + (x * -2/100)
Simplifying this expression, we get:
x - 0.02x
Combining like terms:
0.98x