The population of Jonesville is growing at a constant rate each year. To find the population growth model, we first calculate the annual growth from 2000 to 2002.
1. **Population in 2000:** 15,000
2. **Population in 2001:** 16,250
3. **Population in 2002:** 17,500
The annual population increases are:
- From 2000 to 2001: 16,250 - 15,000 = 1,250
- From 2001 to 2002: 17,500 - 16,250 = 1,250
The constant rate of growth is 1,250 people per year.
Next, we create a population model:
If we let n represent the number of years after 2000, the population can be modeled as:
Population(n) = 15000 + 1250n
This equation reflects the initial population in 2000 and adds the product of the growth rate (1,250) and the number of years (n) that have passed since 2000.
Therefore, after n years from 2000, the population of Jonesville can be described by the equation given above.