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Task

About ten years ago, the city planning department in Metro City started a tree planting program to beautify the city. Below are data that show the total number of trees (including new trees planted) in the city since the program began.

You are a member of the city planning department and your job is to decide if the department's plan to continue planting the same number of trees each year until the goal of a total of 5,000 trees was reached.

I. Assuming that no trees die, what should be the total number of trees in the city in the year 2000? Show how you found your answer.

II. In a 1989 newspaper article, Metro City claimed that it would have a total of 5,000 trees in the city by the time of the city's centennial celebration in the year 2088. If the planting of the new trees continues through the years at the same rate, can this goal be met? Justify your answer.

III. Write a short letter to the editor of the newspaper explaining your findings after examining the data. Be sure to support your claim with algebra.

Rubric

Copyright 2008, Jon Mueller. Professor of Psychology, North Central College, Naperville, IL. Comments, questions or suggestions about this website should be sent to the author, Jon Mueller, at jfmueller@noctrl.edu.