Population Growth Calculation

To determine the difference in population between Town A and Town B in 1993, we first need to calculate the annual growth rate for each town from 1985 to 1989. We can then apply this growth rate to project the population for 1993.

Step 1: Calculate Annual Growth Rate for Town A

Population of Town A in 1985 = 20,000

Population of Town A in 1989 = 25,000

The growth over 4 years (1985 to 1989):
Growth Rate = ((Final Population - Initial Population)/Initial Population) * 100 / Number of Years

Substitute the values:
Annual Growth Rate for Town A = ((25,000 - 20,000) / 20,000) * 100 / 4 = 6.25%

Step 2: Calculate Annual Growth Rate for Town B

Population of Town B in 1985 = 20,000

Population of Town B in 1989 = 28,000

The growth over 4 years:
Annual Growth Rate for Town B = ((28,000 - 20,000) / 20,000) * 100 / 4

Annual Growth Rate for Town B = ((28,000 - 20,000) / 20,000) * 100 / 4 = 10%

Step 3: Project Population for 1993

Calculate the population for each town after 4 more years (from 1989 to 1993).

Town A:

Population of Town A in 1989 = 25,000

Projected Population = Initial Population * (1 + Annual Growth Rate)^Number of Years

Projected Population for Town A in 1993 = 25,000 * (1 + 0.0625)^4 ≈ 31,600

Town B:

Population of Town B in 1989 = 28,000

Projected Population for Town B in 1993 = 28,000 * (1 + 0.10)^4 ≈ 38,550

Step 4: Calculate the Difference in Population

Difference = Population of Town B in 1993 - Population of Town A in 1993
Difference = 38,550 - 31,600 = 6,950

Thus, the difference in population between the two towns in 1993 is 6,950.