Finance Interest Problems
Interest problems ask you to track how money grows or how debt accumulates over time. You'll work with simple interest (a fixed amount each period) and compound interest (interest earning interest), and the difference between the two is where most of the learning happens. A savings account growing at 4% compounded monthly behaves very differently from one earning 4% simple interest, and these problems teach you to quantify that difference. You'll also encounter loan amortization, comparing investment options, and figuring out how long it takes to double your money. This is one of the most directly practical categories — you'll use these skills every time you evaluate a mortgage, a car loan, or a retirement plan.Find when population density reaches 1 person per square yard using exponential growth. 4.9% annual rate, 4.9M initial population.
Use kinematic equations to find vertical separation when a falling pot has different speeds at two heights.
Calculate impulse and force on passengers with different stopping times. Physics problem using momentum and Newton's laws.
Solve two-account investment problems. Find allocation between CD and bonds using system of equations.
Juggler catches a tossed ball: find time using quadratic equation and projectile motion.
Find girl's velocity relative to ice when she walks 1.5 m/s on a frictionless plank. Momentum conservation problem with reference frames.
Calculate max home price using $1,450/month mortgage at 8% over 30 years. Uses present value of annuity formula.
A ball is thrown from 6.5 ft at 147 ft/sec. Use h(t)=-16t²+147t+6.5=0 to find when it lands. Quadratic formula explained.
Write kinematic equation for vertical position. Find time for bread to reach 16 meters. Quadratic and substitution methods.
Plane travels 81 m/s at 125 m height. Calculate horizontal distance package travels before landing using kinematic equations.