Final Answer:
(a) The time needed to pay off the loan, given larger payments of $12,000.00, can be determined using the formula for the number of periods in a loan. Utilizing the formula 
 , where
, where 
 is the number of periods,
 is the number of periods, 
 is the present value (loan amount),
 is the present value (loan amount), 
 is the interest rate per period, and
 is the interest rate per period, and 
 is the periodic payment, the time is approximately 7.5 years.
 is the periodic payment, the time is approximately 7.5 years.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the time needed to pay off the loan, we use the formula for the number of periods 
 in a loan. The formula is
 in a loan. The formula is 
 where
 where 
 is the present value (loan amount),
 is the present value (loan amount), 
 is the interest rate per period, and
 is the interest rate per period, and
 is the periodic payment. In this case,
 is the periodic payment. In this case,
 (converted to decimal form as
 (converted to decimal form as 
 , and
, and 
 Substituting these values into the formula, we find
 Substituting these values into the formula, we find 
 years.
years.
The result indicates that, with larger payments of $12,000.00, the borrower would need approximately 7.5 years to fully pay off the loan. It's important to note that this calculation assumes regular, consistent payments over time. The formula accounts for compounding interest and allows for the determination of the time needed to repay the loan based on the given parameters.
In summary, by applying the formula for the number of periods, we can calculate the time required to pay off the loan with larger payments, providing a clear understanding of the repayment timeline.