Simple and compound interest · Grade 10
In Grade 10 you learn: depreciation.
Interest is money paid to you for saving, or charged to you for borrowing. Simple interest is the same every year; compound interest is also paid on the interest already earned, so it grows faster. The same ideas describe depreciation, inflation and hire purchase.
Key facts
- Compound interest: A = P(1 + r)ⁿ.
- Depreciation (value falls by r each year): A = P(1 − r)ⁿ.
- Compounded monthly: use the monthly rate (r ÷ 12) and the number of months (12n).
- Hire purchase: total paid = deposit + all the instalments. The extra cost is total paid − cash price.
- Inflation raises prices like compound interest.
Worked examples
Example 1
£2,000 is invested at 3% compound interest per year. Find its value after 5 years.
Answer: £2,318.55
Example 2
A car bought for £18,000 loses 15% of its value each year. What is it worth after 3 years?
Answer: £11,054.25
Example 3
£10,000 is invested at 9% per year, compounded monthly, for 2 years. Find the final amount.
Answer: £11,964.14