Final answer:
To achieve his $8,000 vacation goal in 31 months with a 10% APR account, Patrick needs to calculate the monthly investment using the future value of an annuity formula. By rearranging the formula to solve for P (periodic payment), he can determine the exact amount needed each month.
Step-by-step explanation:
Patrick needs to calculate the periodic investment required to reach his $8,000 vacation goal with a 10% APR savings account, compounded monthly over 31 months. To find this, we can use the future value of an annuity formula which considers the periodic rate and the number of periods.The formula for the future value of an annuity (FVA) is FVA = P * [((1 + r)^n - 1) / r], where P is the periodic payment, r is the monthly interest rate, and n is the number of periods.
Given that the annual interest rate is 10%, we first have to find the monthly interest rate which is 0.10/12, and the number of periods is 31 months. We rearrange the FVA formula to solve for the periodic payment P, and we aim for a future value (FVA) of $8,000.