Question

the population of a city has increased by 25% since it was last measured. if the current population is 31,500, what was the previous population?

Explanation:

Step1: Define previous population

Let $x$ = previous population.

Step2: Set up growth equation

Current population = $x + 0.26x = 1.26x$

Step3: Solve for $x$

$$x = \frac{31500}{1.26}$$

Step4: Calculate the value

$x = 25000$

Answer:

25000