Suppose that an investment of $13,000 has grown in value at a rate of 9% per year. If the current value is $16,835.38, then how many years have passed?

Use the annual growth formula: current value = starting value × 1.09^t, where t is the number of years. After 3 years, $13,000 × 1.09^3 = $16,835.38, which matches the current value. Therefore, 3 years have passed; the correct choice is 3.

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