a town has a population of 18000 and grows at 2% every year. what will be the population after 12 years, to…

Explanation:

Step1: Identify the compound - growth formula

The formula for compound - growth of population is $P = P_0(1 + r)^t$, where $P_0$ is the initial population, $r$ is the growth rate as a decimal, and $t$ is the number of years. Here, $P_0=18000$, $r = 0.02$, and $t = 12$.

Step2: Substitute the values into the formula

$P=18000\times(1 + 0.02)^{12}$. First, calculate $(1 + 0.02)^{12}$. Using the exponentiation operation, $(1.02)^{12}\approx1.26824179456$.

Step3: Calculate the final population

$P = 18000\times1.26824179456\approx22828.3523$.

Step4: Round to the nearest whole number

Rounding $22828.3523$ to the nearest whole number gives $22828$.

Answer:

$22828$