Final answer:
The Golden Company made a gain of $39,182 by selling an asset for $243,512 that had a book value of $204,330, which is the cost minus the accumulated depreciation. None of the provided options match this correct amount.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Golden Company sold an asset which had an original cost of $421,768 and accumulated depreciation of $217,438. To calculate the book value of the asset at the time of sale, we subtract the accumulated depreciation from the original cost: $421,768 - $217,438 = $204,330. When the company sold the asset for $243,512, the amount realized from the sale was greater than the book value.
Therefore, to determine the gain or loss on the sale, we subtract the book value from the sale price: $243,512 - $204,330 = $39,182. This is a gain, so the answer is b) $39,182. Hence, none of the provided options a) $176,330, b) -$178,694, c) $178,694, or d) -$176,330 are correct.