Direct Quarter Tons Mined Labor-Hours Utilities Cost Year 1: First.... Second . 5,000 15,000 11,000 21,000 $50,000 $45,000 $60,000 $75,000 3,000 Third 4,000 Fourth 12,000 6,000 .*.. Year 2: $100,000 $105,000 $85,000 $120,000 First .... 18,000 25,000 30,000 28,000 10,000 9,000 8,000 Second Third Fourth...... 11,000

Survey of Accounting (Accounting I)
8th Edition
ISBN:9781305961883
Author:Carl Warren
Publisher:Carl Warren
Chapter14: Decentralized Operations
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 3SEQ: Division A of Kern Co. has sales of $350,000, cost of goods sold of $200,000, operating expenses of...
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Least-Squares Regression; Scattergraph; Comparison of Activity Bases

The Hard Rock Mining Company is developing cost formulas for management planning and decision-making purposes. The company’s cost analyst has concluded that utilities cost is a mixed cost, and he is attempting to find a base that correlates with the cost. The controller has suggested that tons mined might be a good base to use in developing a cost formula. The production superintendent disagrees; she thinks that direct labor-hours would be a better base. The cost analyst has decided to try both bases and has assembled the following information:

Required:

1. Using tons mined as the independent variable, prepare a scattergraph that plots tons mined on the horizontal axis and utilities cast on the vertical axis. Using the least-squares regression method, estimate the variable utilities cost per ton mined and the total fixed utilities cost per quarter. Express these estimates in the form Y = a + bX.

2. Using direct labor-hours as the independent variable, prepare a scattergraph that plots direct labor-hours on the horizontal axis and utilities cost on the vertical axis. Using the least-squares regression method, estimate the variable utilities cost per ton mined and the total fixed utilities cost per quarter. Express these estimates in the form Y = a + bX.

3. Would you recommend that the company use tons mined or direct labor-hours as a base for planning utilities cost?

Direct
Quarter
Tons Mined
Labor-Hours Utilities Cost
Year 1:
First....
Second .
5,000
15,000
11,000
21,000
$50,000
$45,000
$60,000
$75,000
3,000
Third
4,000
Fourth
12,000
6,000
.*..
Year 2:
$100,000
$105,000
$85,000
$120,000
First ....
18,000
25,000
30,000
28,000
10,000
9,000
8,000
Second
Third
Fourth......
11,000
Transcribed Image Text:Direct Quarter Tons Mined Labor-Hours Utilities Cost Year 1: First.... Second . 5,000 15,000 11,000 21,000 $50,000 $45,000 $60,000 $75,000 3,000 Third 4,000 Fourth 12,000 6,000 .*.. Year 2: $100,000 $105,000 $85,000 $120,000 First .... 18,000 25,000 30,000 28,000 10,000 9,000 8,000 Second Third Fourth...... 11,000
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