Required #$1$:

Construct an Excel spreadsheet and use the Excel commands to perform a least$-$squares regression. Estimate the variable$-$ ?and fixed$-$cost components in the company$?$s material$-$handling department costs.

Note: Round the Variable$-$cost component to $2$ ?decimal places and the Fixed$-$cost component to the nearest whole dollar amount.

Required #$2$:

Complete the least$-$squares regression equation for the department$?$s costs.

Note: Round variable cost per unit to $2$ ?decimal places and other answer to the nearest whole dollar amount.

Required #$3$:

Predict the firm$?$s material$-$handling department$?$s costs for a month when $2,150$ ?units of activity are recorded.

Note: Round variable cost per unit to $2$ ?decimal places and final answer to the nearest whole dollar amount.

Martha's Vineyard Marine Supply is a wholesaler for a large variety of boating and fishing equipment. The company's controller, Mathew Knight, has recently completed a cost study of the firm's material-handling department. Knight used work measurement to quantify the department's activity. The control factor unit used in the work-measurement study was hundreds of pounds of equipment unloaded or loaded at the company's loading dock. Knight compiled the following data. Units of Activity (hundreds of pounds of equipment loaded Material- Handling Department Costs Month January February or unloaded) 3,300 $ 13,200 3,100 12,800 March 2,800 12,000 April 2,500 11,700 May 3,700 12,600 June 3,900 14,800 July 3,500 13,500 August 3,300 12,900 September 4,100 13,920 October 2,600 11,800 November 2,700 12,850 December 2,900 12,850