The question in the image asks for the balance of an investment after 9 years, using compound interest. The investment amount is $15,000 with an annual interest rate of 7%, compounded annually.

The formula for compound interest is:

$A = P \left(1 + \frac{r}{n}\right)^{nt}$

Where:

• $A$ is the amount of money accumulated after $n$ years, including interest.
• $P$ is the principal amount (the initial investment), which is $15,000.
• $r$ is the annual interest rate (7% or 0.07).
• $t$ is the number of years (9 years in this case).
• $n$ is the number of times the interest is compounded per year (since it's compounded annually, $n = 1$).

Let’s calculate the balance: