College

Suppose that the value of a yacht in dollars after [tex]$t$[/tex] years of use is given by the function [tex]$V(t)=250000 e^{-0.16 t}$[/tex].

What is the average value of the yacht over its first 14 years of use?

[tex]V_{\text{ave}} = \, \boxed{\phantom{\text{Enter your answer here}}}[/tex]

Answer :

To find the average value of the yacht over its first 14 years of use, we'll follow these steps:

1. Understand the Function: The value of the yacht after [tex]\( t \)[/tex] years is given by the function [tex]\( V(t) = 250000 e^{-0.16 t} \)[/tex]. This represents an exponentially decaying value.

2. Formula for Average Value: The average value [tex]\( V_{\text{ave}} \)[/tex] over a time interval from [tex]\( t = a \)[/tex] to [tex]\( t = b \)[/tex] is calculated using the formula:

[tex]\[
V_{\text{ave}} = \frac{1}{b-a} \int_{a}^{b} V(t) \, dt
\][/tex]

For this problem, [tex]\( a = 0 \)[/tex] and [tex]\( b = 14 \)[/tex], so:

[tex]\[
V_{\text{ave}} = \frac{1}{14-0} \int_{0}^{14} 250000 e^{-0.16 t} \, dt
\][/tex]

3. Calculate the Integral: The definite integral of the function from 0 to 14 gives the total accumulated value of the yacht over these years. This involves calculating:

[tex]\[
\int_{0}^{14} 250000 e^{-0.16 t} \, dt
\][/tex]

The result of this integration is approximately [tex]\( 1,396,158.59 \)[/tex].

4. Calculate the Average Value: Divide the result of the integral by the length of the interval (14 years) to find the average value over this period:

[tex]\[
V_{\text{ave}} = \frac{1}{14} \times 1,396,158.59 \approx 99,725.61
\][/tex]

Thus, the average value of the yacht over its first 14 years of use is approximately [tex]\(\$99,725.61\)[/tex].