
Amy G.
asked 01/19/14interest earned
you are offered $900 five years from now or $150 at the end of each year for the next five years. If you can earn 6 percent on your funds, which offer will you accept? If you can earn 14 percent on your funds, which offer will you accept? why are your answers different?
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2 Answers By Expert Tutors

Parviz F. answered 01/19/14
Tutor
4.8
(4)
Mathematics professor at Community Colleges
P( 1 + 0.06 ) ^ 5 =P( 1.28 )
P= 900/ 1.28 =703.12
Need to place $703.12 , in 0.06 to grow to 900in 5 years.
P ( !+ 0.14) ^ 5 =P( 4. 49) = 900
P = 900/4.49 =200.44
at Compound interest rate of 14% , only need to invest $200 to grow to 900 in 5 years.
At 6% rate investment should be
P= 900/ 1.28 =703.12
Need to place $703.12 , in 0.06 to grow to 900in 5 years.
P ( !+ 0.14) ^ 5 =P( 4. 49) = 900
P = 900/4.49 =200.44
at Compound interest rate of 14% , only need to invest $200 to grow to 900 in 5 years.
At 6% rate investment should be

Steve S. answered 01/19/14
Tutor
5
(3)
Tutoring in Precalculus, Trig, and Differential Calculus
interest earned
you are offered $900 five years from now or $150 at the end of each year for the next five years. If you can earn 6 percent on your funds, which offer will you accept? If you can earn 14 percent on your funds, which offer will you accept? why are your answers different?
3 hours ago | Amy from Slippery Rock, PA | 1 Answer | 0 Votes
A = 150 + 150(1+r) + 150(1+r)^2 + 150(1+r)^3 + 150(1+r)^4
(1+r)A = 150(1+r) + 150(1+r)^2 + 150(1+r)^3 + 150(1+r)^4 + 150(1+r)^5
A - (1+r)A = 150 - 150(1+r)^5
A = 150 (1 - (1+r)^5) / (1 - 1 - r)
A = 150 ( (1+r)^5 - 1) / r
[N.B.: A is a geometric series. The formula for the first n terms is sum{1,n}(a*(k^n - 1)/(k - 1)). For A, a =150, k = (1+r), and n = 5. But every student should know how to derive that formula; which is essentially what I did.]
For what r is A > 900?
150 ( (1+r)^5 - 1) / r > 900
( (1+r)^5 - 1) / r > 6
(1+r)^5 > 6 r + 1
---check for r = 6%:
(1.06)^5 >? 6(0.06) + 1
1.3382255776 >? 1.36
No.
So 6% would not give you more than $900 in 5 years.
---check for r = 14%:
(1.14)^5 >? 6(0.14) + 1
1.925414582400001 >? 1.84
Yes.
So 14% would give you more than $900 in 5 years.
you are offered $900 five years from now or $150 at the end of each year for the next five years. If you can earn 6 percent on your funds, which offer will you accept? If you can earn 14 percent on your funds, which offer will you accept? why are your answers different?
3 hours ago | Amy from Slippery Rock, PA | 1 Answer | 0 Votes
A = 150 + 150(1+r) + 150(1+r)^2 + 150(1+r)^3 + 150(1+r)^4
(1+r)A = 150(1+r) + 150(1+r)^2 + 150(1+r)^3 + 150(1+r)^4 + 150(1+r)^5
A - (1+r)A = 150 - 150(1+r)^5
A = 150 (1 - (1+r)^5) / (1 - 1 - r)
A = 150 ( (1+r)^5 - 1) / r
[N.B.: A is a geometric series. The formula for the first n terms is sum{1,n}(a*(k^n - 1)/(k - 1)). For A, a =150, k = (1+r), and n = 5. But every student should know how to derive that formula; which is essentially what I did.]
For what r is A > 900?
150 ( (1+r)^5 - 1) / r > 900
( (1+r)^5 - 1) / r > 6
(1+r)^5 > 6 r + 1
---check for r = 6%:
(1.06)^5 >? 6(0.06) + 1
1.3382255776 >? 1.36
No.
So 6% would not give you more than $900 in 5 years.
---check for r = 14%:
(1.14)^5 >? 6(0.14) + 1
1.925414582400001 >? 1.84
Yes.
So 14% would give you more than $900 in 5 years.
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Michael F.
01/20/14