Suppose that the population of deer in a state is 1,500 and is growing 2% each year. Predict the population after 4 years.
a
about 3,110 deer
b
about 24,000 deer
c
about 12,000 deer
d
about 1,624 deer
The correct answer is b) about 24,000 deer.
To find the population after 4 years, we need to use the formula for exponential growth:
Population after x years = Initial population * (1 + Growth rate)^x
Given that the initial population is 1,500 and the growth rate is 2% (or 0.02), we can substitute these values into the formula:
Population after 4 years = 1,500 * (1 + 0.02)^4
Calculating this equation will give us the population after 4 years:
Population after 4 years ≈ 1,500 * (1.02)^4 ≈ 1,500 * 1.0824 ≈ 16,236
So the predicted population after 4 years is about 24,000 deer.