Quarter First Second Third Fourth Direct materials ... $240,000 $120,000 $ 60,000 $180,000 Direct labor 128,000 64,000 32,000 96,000 Manufacturing overhead 300,000 220,000 180,000 ? Total manufacturing costs (a) $668,000 $404,000 $272,000 $ ? Number of units to be produced (b) Estimated unit product cost (a) ÷ (b) 80,000 40,000 20,000 60,000 ... .. $8.35 $10.10 $13.60 ? ......
Kingsport Containers Company makes a single product that is subject to wide seasonal variations in demand. The company uses a
Management finds the variation in quarterly unit product costs to be confusing and difficult to work with. It has been suggested that the problem lies with manufacturing overhead because it is the largest element of total
Required:
1. Assuming the estimated variable manufacturing overhead cost per unit is $2.00, what must be the estimated total fixed manufacturing overhead cost per quarter?
2. Assuming the assumptions about cost behavior from the first three quarters hold constant, what is the estimated unit product cost for the fourth quarter?
3. What is causing the estimated unit product cost to fluctuate from one quarter to the next?
4. How would you recommend stabilizing the company’s unit product cost? Support your answer with computations.
![Quarter
First
Second
Third
Fourth
Direct materials ...
$240,000 $120,000
$ 60,000
$180,000
Direct labor
128,000
64,000
32,000
96,000
Manufacturing overhead
300,000
220,000
180,000
?
Total manufacturing costs (a)
$668,000 $404,000
$272,000 $
?
Number of units to be produced (b)
Estimated unit product cost (a) ÷ (b)
80,000
40,000
20,000
60,000
... ..
$8.35
$10.10
$13.60
?
......](/v2/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcontent.bartleby.com%2Fqna-images%2Fquestion%2Fd4ad06b3-48ba-4904-b9e4-e61b2dbbea90%2Fce14fd12-aaaa-44e2-aba5-67ea5b8e1743%2Ftmp94ss.png&w=3840&q=75)
![](/static/compass_v2/shared-icons/check-mark.png)
Trending now
This is a popular solution!
Step by step
Solved in 2 steps with 4 images
![Blurred answer](/static/compass_v2/solution-images/blurred-answer.jpg)
![FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING](https://compass-isbn-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/isbn_cover_images/9781259964947/9781259964947_smallCoverImage.jpg)
![Accounting](https://www.bartleby.com/isbn_cover_images/9781337272094/9781337272094_smallCoverImage.gif)
![Accounting Information Systems](https://www.bartleby.com/isbn_cover_images/9781337619202/9781337619202_smallCoverImage.gif)
![FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING](https://compass-isbn-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/isbn_cover_images/9781259964947/9781259964947_smallCoverImage.jpg)
![Accounting](https://www.bartleby.com/isbn_cover_images/9781337272094/9781337272094_smallCoverImage.gif)
![Accounting Information Systems](https://www.bartleby.com/isbn_cover_images/9781337619202/9781337619202_smallCoverImage.gif)
![Horngren's Cost Accounting: A Managerial Emphasis…](https://www.bartleby.com/isbn_cover_images/9780134475585/9780134475585_smallCoverImage.gif)
![Intermediate Accounting](https://www.bartleby.com/isbn_cover_images/9781259722660/9781259722660_smallCoverImage.gif)
![Financial and Managerial Accounting](https://www.bartleby.com/isbn_cover_images/9781259726705/9781259726705_smallCoverImage.gif)