Joint Cost

Far Side Mining mines minerals used in artistic paints. The mining process yields three products from a single process: red pigments, blue pigments, and a clay-like by-product. The three products emerge from a single mining process. For every ton (2000 lbs) of mineral, the "Red" department can manufacture 600 lbs of red pigment, the "Blue" department can manufacture 800 lbs of blue pigment, and 600 lbs of clay-like by-product emerge. The red and blue pigments require additional processing before they can be sold.

Far Side sells the clay-like by-product in bulk to a secondary distributor. It costs Far Side $2.00/lb to transport the clay-like by-product to the secondary distributor. Far Side sells the clay-like by-product to the secondary distributor for $3.25/lb.

In a typical month, Far Side converts 40 tons (80,000 lbs) of mineral into the various pigments and the by-product, for a total joint cost of $580,000 (14,500 $/ton). If 40 tons of minerals are used in production and Far Side refines the minerals further, Far Side incurs $43,000 in additional processing costs for the blue pigment, and $38,000 in additional processing costs for the red pigment.

After the additional processing, Far Side can sell the red pigment for$15/lb and the blue pigment for $20/lb.

Far Side uses the net realizable value method for the by-product, and the approximate relative sales value method for joint products (the blue and red pigments).

1 - What is the amount of joint cost applied to the clay-like by-product?

2- What is the amount of joint cost applied to the blue pigment?

3 - What is the amount of joint cost applied to the red pigment?

4- What is the total joint cost applied to the three products (the red pigment, blue pigment, and by-product)?