Question

thanks to its environmental initiatives, winchester has cut its annual co2 emissions by 15%. this year, the town produced 78,236 metric tons of emissions. if the downward trend continues, how much co2 will be produced 17 years from now? if necessary, round your answer to the nearest whole number.
____ metric tons

Explanation:

Step1: Define decay formula

This is exponential decay: $A = P(1-r)^t$
Where $P=78236$, $r=0.15$, $t=17$

Step2: Calculate remaining emission factor

$1-r = 1-0.15 = 0.85$

Step3: Compute factor to the power of t

$0.85^{17} \approx 0.1070$

Step4: Find total emissions

$A = 78236 \times 0.1070 \approx 8373$

Answer:

8373 metric tons