Final answer:
The population growth of a town with a continuous rate of 7% per year would follow the formula P(t) = 30,000(1 + 0.07)^t. After 4 years, the population would grow to approximately 37,699 residents. The annual growth rate is 7%.
Step-by-step explanation:
This problem is a classic example of a compound interest problem, but with population growth. (a) The formula for the population after t years would be P(t) = P0(1 + r)^t, where P0 is the starting population (30,000), r is the growth rate (expressed as a decimal), and t is the time in years. In this case, this would be P(t) = 30,000(1 + 0.07)^t.
(b) The population after 4 years would be P(4) = 30,000(1 + 0.07)^4. Doing the calculation, the population after 4 years will be approximately 37,699 people.
(c) The annual growth rate of the town population, given as 7%, and in decimal form, it would be represented as 0.07.
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