Answer:
Depreciation is the decrease in value of an asset over time. We know that the value of the equipment depreciates at a rate of 20% per year, and after 5 years the equipment is worth $98,304. We can use this information to set up an equation to find the original value of the equipment.
Let X be the original value of the equipment.
We know that:
X * (1 - 0.20)^5 = 98304
Where (1 - 0.20) is the depreciation rate, and the exponent 5 is the number of years.
We can solve for X by using the following steps:
X * (1 - 0.20)^5 = 98304
X * (0.8)^5 = 98304
X = 98304 / (0.8)^5
X = $143,680
So, the original value of the equipment was $143,680.
Explanation: