Math Problem Statement

During 2008 the S&P 500 index depreciated by 37.6%.† Assuming that this trend had continued, how much would an $8,000 investment in an S&P index fund have been worth after 3 years? (Round your answer to the nearest cent.)

$

Solution

To calculate the value of the investment after 3 years, given a yearly depreciation of 37.6%, we can use the formula for exponential decay:

Future Value=Present Value×(1Depreciation Rate)Number of Years\text{Future Value} = \text{Present Value} \times (1 - \text{Depreciation Rate})^{\text{Number of Years}}

Given:

  • Present Value (initial investment) = $8,000
  • Depreciation Rate = 37.6% or 0.376
  • Number of Years = 3

Calculation:

  1. Substitute the values into the formula: Future Value=8000×(10.376)3\text{Future Value} = 8000 \times (1 - 0.376)^3

  2. Simplify the depreciation term: 10.376=0.6241 - 0.376 = 0.624

  3. Raise 0.6240.624 to the power of 3: 0.62430.24290.624^3 \approx 0.2429

  4. Multiply by the initial investment: 8000×0.2429=1943.208000 \times 0.2429 = 1943.20

Answer:

After 3 years, the investment would be worth approximately $1,943.20.

Would you like further details or have any questions?


Here are some related questions you may find interesting:

  1. What would be the value if the depreciation rate changed to 30%?
  2. How would the investment grow if there were a 10% appreciation each year instead?
  3. What if the depreciation rate was compounded semi-annually?
  4. How much would you need to invest to achieve a future value of $10,000 after 3 years with the same depreciation rate?
  5. How does compounding frequency affect the future value of an investment?

Tip: When working with percentages in exponential calculations, always convert the percentage to a decimal by dividing by 100.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Exponential Decay
Percentage Depreciation
Investment Value

Formulas

Future Value = Present Value × (1 - Depreciation Rate) ^ Number of Years

Theorems

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Suitable Grade Level

Grades 10-12