Final answer:
The first year's depreciation expense for Scotter Company using straight-line depreciation for the new equipment is $17,500. This is calculated by dividing the depreciable cost by the useful life to get the annual depreciation and then prorating it for the 7 months of use in the first year.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the depreciation expense for the first year using the straight-line depreciation method for the equipment purchased by Scotter Company, we start by determining the depreciable cost and the useful life of the equipment. The depreciable cost is the cost of the equipment minus any salvage value, which is $90,000 as stated in the problem. The useful life in years is given as 3 years.
The straight-line depreciation expense per year is found by dividing the depreciable cost by the useful life:
Depreciation Expense = Depreciable Cost / Useful Life in Years
Depreciation Expense = $90,000 / 3 years
Depreciation Expense = $30,000 per year
Since the equipment was purchased on June 1 and the year ends on December 31, we only calculate the depreciation for the first 7 months of the first year.
Monthly Depreciation Expense = Annual Depreciation Expense / 12 months
Monthly Depreciation Expense = $30,000 / 12
Monthly Depreciation Expense = $2,500 per month
Depreciation expense for the 7 months of the first year = Monthly Depreciation Expense * Number of months
Depreciation expense for the 7 months of the first year = $2,500 * 7
Depreciation expense for the 7 months of the first year = $17,500
Therefore, the correct answer is (b) $17,500.