Original question written by FE Exam AI Prep from the public FE Civil exam specification. Before release, a solver model re-derived the answer twice from the question alone, without its answer key, and a critic model checked the result, and the arithmetic was re-run as an executable calculation. No licensed engineer reviews these questions. It is not an NCEES question and does not come from any NCEES practice exam. FE Exam AI Prep is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by NCEES.
Straight-Line Depreciation and Book Value: FE Civil practice problem 3
For the Oak Point bridge widening, a civil analyst preparing an independent quantity review uses straight-line depreciation for an asset with first cost $78000, salvage value $7000, and life of 10 years. What annual depreciation is used?
- A4380 $/yr
- B7638 $/yr
- C7100 $/yr
- D8863 $/yr
Show the answer and worked solution
Answer: C — 7100 $/yr
Worked solution
- Step 1. Use straight-line depreciation
D = (first cost - salvage)/life
- Step 2. Substitute values
D = (78000 - 7000)/10 = 7100 $/yr
Why the other choices are wrong
- Choice A
- This number falls close to 22% short of the verified total and cannot be traced to a single clean arithmetic slip in the straight-line depreciation formula; applying the given numbers directly gives D = (78000 - 7000)/10 = 7100 $/yr.
- Choice B
- This value sits nearly 45% above the checked answer, and no single clean misstep in the straight-line depreciation formula reproduces it; applying the stated numbers gives D = (78000 - 7000)/10 = 7100 $/yr.
- Choice D
- This total runs roughly 25% above the verified result and does not match any single clean substitution error in the straight-line depreciation formula; working directly from the given numbers, D = (78000 - 7000)/10 = 7100 $/yr.