To find the interest rate Susan needs for her account to reach $40,000 in 7 years, you can use the formula for compound interest:
A = P(1 + r/n)^(nt)
Where:
A = the future amount ($40,000 in this case)
P = the principal amount ($33,000)
r = the annual interest rate (what we want to find)
n = the number of times interest is compounded per year (assuming it's compounded annually, n = 1)
t = the number of years (7 years in this case)
Now, let's plug in the values:
$40,000 = $33,000(1 + r/1)^(1*7)
Simplify the equation:
1 + r = (40,000 / 33,000)^(1/7)
1 + r ≈ 1.2121
Now, subtract 1 from both sides to find r:
r ≈ 1.2121 - 1 ≈ 0.2121
To express the interest rate as a percentage, multiply by 100:
r ≈ 0.2121 * 100 ≈ 21.21%
So, the interest rate Susan needs for her account to reach $40,000 in 7 years is approximately 21.21%, rounded to the nearest percent, it's 21%.