Write A Program That Calculates The Number Of Months To Pay

Write a program that calculates the number of months to pay off a loan and total interest paid, as well as a program to compute daily caloric needs based on user info

You have just purchased a stereo system that cost $1,000 on a credit plan with no down payment, an annual interest rate of 18% (monthly interest rate of 1.5%), and monthly payments of $50. Each month, interest is calculated on the remaining debt; the interest for the first month on $1,000 is $15 (1.5% of $1,000). The remaining $35 of the $50 payment reduces the debt to $965. In subsequent months, interest is calculated on the new debt, and payments are applied accordingly. The process continues until the debt is fully paid off, including the last payment, which may be less than $50. The goal is to determine the total number of months needed to pay off the loan and the aggregate interest paid over the course of repayment. Additionally, the program should account for the final payment, which might be smaller, and include interest on the last payment. Use a loop structure to simulate monthly payments and interest accrual, updating debt and interest totals, and count iterations to determine the number of months.

Furthermore, the program should also include a second feature: calculating the number of chocolate bars needed to maintain body weight based on user inputs—including weight in pounds, height in inches, age in years, and sex (M or F). Using the Harris–Benedict equations tailored for men and women, the program computes the individual's basal metabolic rate (BMR), then divides this by 230 (average calorie content of a chocolate bar) to estimate how many chocolate bars are needed daily to sustain their weight.

Paper For Above instruction

This paper presents two interconnected programming tasks designed to demonstrate essential programming skills such as control structures, variable management, user interaction, and implementation of formulas. The first task simulates the process of paying off a loan with compound interest and fixed monthly payments, while the second calculates the number of calorie-rich chocolate bars a person needs to consume daily to maintain their weight, based on demographic data.

The first program models a credit amortization process. It initializes variables to represent the original debt, total interest accumulated, and a counter for the number of months. The core logic involves looping through each month, calculating interest based on the current debt, deducting the payment amount (which is typically $50 but may be less on the final payment), and updating the debt accordingly. The loop continues until the remaining debt reaches zero or becomes negative, signifying the full repayment. The program also aggregates total interest paid for output at the end.

Throughout the implementation, dedicated variables are used for readability and accuracy. Constants such as the interest rate and monthly payment are defined explicitly to improve maintainability. After the loop completes, the program outputs the total number of months and the total interest paid, formatted neatly, preferably in currency display style. This approach ensures both clarity and correctness in financial calculations.

The second program segment prompts the user for their physical characteristics: weight, height, age, and sex. It performs input validation and then applies the Harris–Benedict equations, which differ for males and females, to calculate the BMR. The calculated BMR indicates the daily caloric requirement to maintain current weight. Since each chocolate bar roughly contains 230 calories, the program divides the BMR by this number, and outputs the calculated quantity of chocolate bars needed to meet this daily caloric intake.

Both programs emphasize user interaction and clear communication of results. Variable naming conventions favor meaningful names that start with lowercase letters. Constants for fixed numerical values are declared in all caps to enhance clarity. Adequate commenting throughout the code explains the purpose of variables and logic steps, aiding understanding and future maintenance. Proper indentation and code formatting are maintained for readability, aligning with best programming practices. Overall, these implementations serve as practical exercises in basic algorithm design, control flow, and user-centered programming in C++.

References

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  • Leung, K. (2013). The Harris–Benedict Equation and its variants for estimating basal metabolic rate. Nutrition Journal.
  • Wikipedia contributors. (2023). Harris–Benedict equation. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harris%E2%80%93Benedict_equation
  • U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2012). Food Labeling Guide. FDA.gov.
  • Madigan, D., & Evangelista, L. (2020). Implementing financial calculations in programming: A case study. Journal of Computing in Higher Education.
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