Learn Before
Solving a Word Problem for the Principal of Sean's Car Loan
Apply the problem-solving strategy to find the principal given the simple interest earned, rate of interest, and time.
Problem: Sean’s new car loan statement said he would pay in interest from a simple interest rate of over years. How much did he borrow to buy his new car?
- Read the problem carefully.
- Identify what to find: the amount borrowed (the principal).
- Name the unknown: Let = principal borrowed.
- Translate into an equation using the simple interest formula . Given , , and :
- Solve the equation: Multiply and : Divide both sides by :
- Check the result:
- Answer: The principal was .
0
1
Tags
OpenStax
Intermediate Algebra @ OpenStax
Ch.2 Solving Linear Equations - Intermediate Algebra @ OpenStax
Algebra
Related
Solving a Word Problem for the Principal of Sean's Car Loan
Solving a Word Problem for the Principal of Eduardo's Car Loan
Solving a Word Problem for the Principal of Gloria's Bank Account
Interest (Algebra)
Time (Algebra)
An employee at a manufacturing company receives a signing bonus of 2,500 dollars and deposits it into a savings account to earn interest. In algebraic finance formulas, this original 2,500 dollar deposit is referred to by which term, often represented by the variable ?
When an entrepreneur takes out a business loan of 15,000 dollars to upgrade their company's computer systems, this initial borrowed amount—which serves as the base value for calculating all future interest charges—is called the ____.
Financial Terminology for Capital Loans
In the context of algebraic finance, match each term with its correct definition based on how it is used to calculate interest.
An electrician borrows 4,500 dollars to buy a specialized toolkit for their new business. True or False: In an algebraic formula used to calculate the interest on this loan, the 'principal' () represents the 4,500 dollars originally borrowed.
Learn After
Sean’s car loan statement shows he paid 4,866.25 dollars in simple interest at an annual rate of 8.5% over 5 years. Based on the simple interest formula , which of the following expressions correctly solves for the principal () he originally borrowed?
Recall the problem-solving strategy for word problems. Arrange the steps in the correct order to find the original amount borrowed (principal) for a car loan when given the simple interest, rate, and time.
As a finance associate at a car dealership, you are verifying the data entries for a customer's simple interest car loan. Based on the statement: 'Sean paid in simple interest at an annual rate of over years,' match each variable in the formula with its correct value or description from the loan summary.
As a loan processor calculating the principal for Sean's car loan using the simple interest formula , you must first convert the annual interest rate of to the decimal value of ____.
In the simple interest formula used to determine Sean's car loan details, the 'principal' () refers to the total interest of that he will pay over the life of the loan.