Final answer:
The question is about a financial accounting concept where equipment was sold at a loss. The loss was determined by comparing the book value with the selling price, leading to the conclusion that the equipment was sold $32,000 less than its book value.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is dealing with a scenario in which an equipment with an original cost of $168,000 and a book value of $80,000 was sold at a loss of $32,000. To understand this transaction, we must apply the concepts of book value, loss, and original cost calculations as generally covered in financial accounting or business courses.
When the equipment was sold, the loss can be calculated by comparing the selling price with the book value. Since the equipment was sold at a $32,000 loss from the book value, we can infer that the selling price was $80,000 - $32,000 = $48,000. In other words, the book value of the equipment was $32,000 higher than what it was sold for.