Compound interest is interest calculated on the principal sum and also on the accumulated interest from previous periods. The key aspects are:
- Interest is calculated not just on the principal amount but also on accumulated interest from previous periods.
- Thelma earned more interest than Ella over two years ($10,404 vs. $10,400) because Thelma's interest in the second year was calculated on both the principal and first year's interest, while Ella's interest remained simple.
- Money earning compound interest grows exponentially as each interest period the interest is added to the principal and earns further interest.