Hi, I hope you can help me with this.

From 1989 to 1990, the population of Nevada increased b y 157,000, and that of Maine increased by 30,000. In 1990, the population of Nevada was 1,206,152, and that of Maine was 1,233,223. If the populations of the two states continue to increase at the same rates, when will the populations of Nevada and Maine be the same?

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Thanks,
Jimmy

Hi Jimmy,

The population of Maine incrreases by 30,000 in 1989 to a population of 1,233,223 in 1990. Thus the population of Maine was 1,203,223 in 1989. Hence the percentage increase was

 ^30,000/_1,203,223  100 = 2.29% per year.

Similarily Nevada's population increases at 14.96% from 1989 to 1990.

Thus in n years Maine's population will be

1,203,223 1.0249ⁿ

and Nevada's population will be

1,049,152 1.1496ⁿ

Find n if

1,203,223 1.0249ⁿ = 1,049,152 1.1496ⁿ

Penny

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