Answer:
The town's annual energy consumption will be of 6.57 trillons of BTU after 9 years.
Step-by-step explanation:
The annual energy consumption of the town where Camilla lives increases at a rate that is proportional at any time to the energy consumption at that time.
This means that the consumption after t years is given by the following differential equation:
[tex]\frac{dC}{dt} = kC[/tex]
In which k is the growth rate.
The solution is, applying separation of variables:
[tex]C(t) = C(0)e^{kt}[/tex]
In which C(0) is the initial consumption.
The town consumed 4.4 trillion British thermal units (BTUs) initially.
This means that [tex]C(0) = 4.4[/tex]
So
[tex]C(t) = C(0)e^{kt}[/tex]
[tex]C(t) = 4.4e^{kt}[/tex]
5.5 trillion BTUs annually after 5 years.
This means that [tex]C(5) = 5.5[/tex]. We use this to find k. So
[tex]C(t) = 4.4e^{kt}[/tex]
[tex]5.5 = 4.4e^{5k}[/tex]
[tex]e^{5k} = \frac{5.5}{4.4}[/tex]
[tex]e^{5k} = 1.25[/tex]
[tex]\ln{e^{5k}} = \ln{1.25}[/tex]
[tex]5k = \ln{1.25}[/tex]
[tex]k = \frac{\ln{1.25}}{5}[/tex]
[tex]k = 0.0446[/tex]
So
[tex]C(t) = 4.4e^{0.0446t}[/tex]
After 9 years?
This is C(9). So
[tex]C(9) = 4.4e^{0.0446*9} = 6.57[/tex]
The town's annual energy consumption will be of 6.57 trillons of BTU after 9 years.