Evaluating an Exponential Growth Function
The world population in 2012 was about 7.046 billion people. Assume that the world population continues to grow exponentially at the growth rate of 1.2% per year. The expected world population, in billions of people, t years after 2012, is given by the formula P(t) = 7.046e^{0.012t}. Determine the expected world population in 2018.
Since 2018 is 6 years after 2012, t = 6.
P(t) = 7.046e^{0.012t}
P(6) = 7.046e^{0.012(6)}
= 7.046e^{0.072}
≈ 7.046(1.074655344)
≈ 7.572021554
Thus, in 2018, the world population is expected to be about 7.57 billion people.