1. **State the problem:** Sam deposits 2500 into an account with simple interest. After 9 months, the balance is 2603.13. We need to find the interest rate $r$. 2. **Formula for simple interest:** $$ A = P(1 + rt) $$ where $A$ is the amount after time $t$, $P$ is the principal, $r$ is the rate per year (in decimal), and $t$ is time in years. 3. **Convert time to years:** Since 9 months = $\frac{9}{12} = 0.75$ years. 4. **Plug in known values:** $$ 2603.13 = 2500(1 + r \times 0.75) $$ 5. **Solve for $r$:** Divide both sides by 2500: $$ \frac{2603.13}{2500} = 1 + 0.75r $$ Calculate left side: $$ 1.041252 = 1 + 0.75r $$ Subtract 1: $$ 0.041252 = 0.75r $$ Divide both sides by 0.75: $$ r = \frac{0.041252}{0.75} = 0.055003 $$ 6. **Convert to percentage:** $$ r = 0.055003 \times 100 = 5.5\% $$ **Final answer:** The interest rate Sam is getting is approximately 5.5% per year.