Final answer:
The dependent component in the equation provided is the Total selling costs (Y), as it changes in response to the fixed cost component, the number of sales initiated, and the number of dispatches made.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the equation provided by Theta, Inc., a manufacturing company, the dependent component is Total selling costs (Y). This is because the total selling costs depend on the other variables in the equation: the fixed costs (F), the number of sales initiated by representatives (X1), and the number of dispatches made (X2).
It's important to note that the dependent variable is the one that changes in response to the other variables, which in this case are Fixed cost component, the Number of sales initiated by representatives, and the Number of dispatches made. These three are known as independent variables because they cause changes in the dependent variable, not the other way around.