How much would you have to deposit in an account with a \( 6.5 \% \) interest rate, compounded continuously, to have \( \$ 5000 \) in your account 12 years later? \[ P=\$[?] \] Round to the nearest cent.
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The Deep Dive
To find the initial deposit \( P \) needed to reach \( \$5000 \) in an account with a continuous compounding interest rate, we use the formula: \[ A = Pe^{rt} \] where \( A \) is the amount of money accumulated after n years, including interest. In your case, \( A = 5000 \), \( r = 0.065 \) (6.5%), and \( t = 12 \). Rearranging the formula to solve for \( P \): \[ P = \frac{A}{e^{rt}} = \frac{5000}{e^{0.065 \times 12}} \approx \frac{5000}{e^{0.78}} \approx \frac{5000}{2.179} \approx 2294.81 \] Thus, you would have to deposit approximately \( P \approx \$2294.81 \). To confirm the calculation, let’s break it down! The term \( e^{0.78} \) uses the mathematical constant \( e \) (approximately 2.71828) raised to the power of \( 0.78 \). This evaluates to roughly 2.179, meaning your original investment will grow over time thanks to the wonders of compound interest! Just imagine your money working hard for you while you sip coffee at your favorite café.