A food processing company wants to optimize its production line by reducing waste and increasing efficiency. They process 10,000 pounds of raw materials per day, with a yield rate (percentage of usable product) of 85%. If they can improve the yield rate by 5%, calculate the additional amount of finished product that can be produced daily. Explain your reasoning.

First, we need to find out how much finished product the company is currently producing with an 85% yield rate. To do this, multiply the total raw materials (10,000 pounds) by the yield rate (0.85):

10,000 * 0.85 = 8,500 pounds of finished product

Now, let's calculate the new yield rate after improving it by 5%. Add 5% to the current yield rate:

85% + 5% = 90%

Convert this percentage to a decimal by dividing by 100:

90 / 100 = 0.9

Next, calculate the amount of finished product that can be produced daily with the improved yield rate. Multiply the total raw materials (10,000 pounds) by the new yield rate (0.9):

10,000 * 0.9 = 9,000 pounds of finished product

Finally, subtract the original amount of finished product from the new amount to find the additional amount produced daily:

9,000 - 8,500 = 500 pounds

So, if the company improves its yield rate by 5%, they can produce an additional 500 pounds of finished product daily.