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Money mathematics
Lesson 1 of 9

Simple and compound interest

Objective. Calculate both types of interest and compare them.

The key idea

Simple interest is a fixed amount each year; compound interest earns interest on interest, so it grows faster over time.

Worked example

£2000 at 4% compound for 3 years.

£2000.00
Money illustration for £2000
  1. 1Multiplier is 1.04.
  2. 22000 × 1.04³ = 2000 × 1.124864.

Answer: £2249.73

Practice

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