HELP PLEASE ANSWER BEFORE WEDNESDAY PLEASE DESPERATE!!!!!!!

Unless she went fishing again she would have caught 31416 + (31416*0.4) = 43982.4 lbs of fish. You don't need to divide by 40 in any case. If the problem actually states that she goes fishing every day for 20 years and caught 40% of the previous day's catch each day then you need to calculate the number of pounds caught over the 7300 days. Note -- the incremental increase become less than 1 lb per day in less than two weeks and 0.005 lbs per day by day 17.

u could write computer program

true, but even if nymphetamine calculates the first 20 days of fishing with a calculator and adds them together, (s)he will have the total to the proper significance. The first day is given as whole pounds. The answer doesn't need to be given in greater significance than tenths and that number won't change beyond day 20.

Maybe she goes fishing for 2 days each year for 20 years.

right, the problem as stated isn't clear.

Problem Stated Better (Sorry!)
Yes She does go fishing every day for 2 years Sorry about that!

HI
Problem is every day she catches 40% of what she did the previous day so every day changes the amount of fish caught.
Can somebody please write me an answer or how to work this out on a calculator please? (sorry i'm not good at calculators)

HI
Problem is every day she catches 40% of what she did the previous day so every day changes the amount of fish caught.
Can somebody please write me an answer or how to work this out on a calculator please? (sorry i'm not good at calculators)

Again, I'm assuming you mean 20 years, not 2 years. Do she catch 40% of the previous day's catch or 40% of the first day's catch each day?

Hi
Yes 20 years, and she caught 40% of the previous days catch.
Sorry for not explaining it enough

Dilbert has claimed that "No one ever wants to take more than half of what's left of the last doughnut. That's why I call it Xeno's doughnut" (see Zeno's paradox)

Then the approach above will work for you. I'll get you started...

Day 1 = 31416 lbs
Day 2 = 31416 X 0.4 = 12566.4 lbs
Day 3 = 12566.4 X 0.4 = 5026.6 lbs
Day 4 = 5026.6 X 0.4 = 2010.6 lbs
Day 5 =

You don't need to do more than 20 days because the incremental addition of Day 20 = 0.0008 (or 0.0) lbs. It doesn't matter how many days she continues to fish after the first 20 days -- it won't add any additional weight to the overall total. Add up the individual weights for each of the first 20 days and you'll have the grand total.

Cheers Mate
Hey just like to say thanks for all the help mates especially to JPB, thanks a lot!

Isn't there a math formula for things like this? The SUM formula, denoted by a sigma sign? I think some calculators have this function.

SUM( i=1:7299) 31416+(31416*0.4**i)

Is nobody concerned about overfishing and depleting resources for future generations? Isnt that what this whole question about?

I vote we start a breeding program.

We take the first days catch and put them in a holding tank. Assuming each year they increased by 40% (conservative estimate) how many fish would we have in 20 years assuming the overfishing continues.

I told u to write a computer program.

It could have saved so much discussion.

Pssssssst vinsan,

Some people havn't got the first clue how to write a computer program.

What's wrong with discussion?