An investor has two bonds in his portfolio that have a face value of $1,000 and pay an 11% annual coupon. Bond L matures in 12 years, while Bond S matures in 1 year.

a. What will the value of each bond be if the going interest rate is 6%, 8%, and 12%? Assume that only one more interest payment is to be made on Bond S at its maturity and that 12 more payments are to be made on Bond L.

b. Why does the longer-term bonds price vary more than the price of the shorter-term bond when interest rates change?