A company can purchase a new kiln for firing

ceramics for $$18,000$ now. This kiln will have a life

of $6$ years and a salvage value of $$2000.$ It costs the

company $40$ cents to fire a ceramic in the kiln.

This company can also contract out the making of

the ceramics, and that cost will be $$3\mathrm{.}00$ for each

ceramic.

The interest rate is $15\%$ per year.

How many ceramics must this company make

per year for these two options to be

equivalent?