Re: Probably easy question, but I dont know how... please he
Hello, Cole1!
Can anyone please help me set up a formula to get the answer to this question?
If someone works for .01 the first day, .02 the next, .04 the next, .08 the next, etc.
how much money will he have earned after 20 days? 52 days? N days?
Change everything to cents.
The daily salary will be: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, . . .
This is a geomtric sequence with first term \(\displaystyle a\,=\,1\) and common ratio \(\displaystyle r\,=\,2\)
The sum of the first \(\displaystyle n\) terms is: \(\displaystyle \,S_n\;=\;a\cdot\frac{r^n\,-\,1}{r\,-\,1}\)
Our formula is: \(\displaystyle \,S_n\;=\;1\cdot\frac{2^n\,-\.1}{2\,-\,1}\;=\;2^n\,-\,1\)
By the 20th day, he has received: \(\displaystyle \,S_{20}\;=\;2^{20}\,-\,1\:=\:1,048,575\)¢ \(\displaystyle \,=\,\$10,485.75\)
By the 52nd day, he has received: \(\displaystyle \, 2^{52}\,-\,1\:\approx\;\$45,036,000,000,000\) . . . over forty-five trillion dollars!