1. **State the problem:** We need to find the deposit (principal) that will earn $45.18 in interest over 240 days at an interest rate of 3.25% per year using simple interest. 2. **Formula for simple interest:** $$I = P \times r \times t$$ where: - $I$ is the interest earned, - $P$ is the principal (deposit), - $r$ is the annual interest rate (in decimal), - $t$ is the time in years. 3. **Convert given values:** - Interest $I = 45.18$ - Rate $r = 3.25\% = 0.0325$ - Time $t = \frac{240}{365}$ years (since 240 days out of 365 days in a year) 4. **Rearrange the formula to solve for $P$:** $$P = \frac{I}{r \times t}$$ 5. **Calculate $P$:** $$P = \frac{45.18}{0.0325 \times \frac{240}{365}} = \frac{45.18}{0.0325 \times 0.6575} = \frac{45.18}{0.02136875} \approx 2113.01$$ 6. **Interpretation:** The deposit must be approximately 2113.01 to earn 45.18 in 240 days at 3.25% simple interest. **Final answer:** $$\boxed{2113.01}$$