17-31 Weighted-average method. Larsen Company manufactures car seats in its San Antonio plant. Each car seat passes through the assembly department and the testing department. This problem focuses on the assembly department. The process-costing system at Larsen Company has a single direct-cost category (direct materials) and a single indirect-cost category (conversion costs). Direct materials are added at the beginning of the process. Conversion costs are added evenly during the process. When the assembly department finishes work on each car seat, it is immediately transferred to testing. Larsen Company uses the weighted-average method of process costing. Data for the assembly department for October 2014 are as follows:

	Physical Units (Car Seats)	Direct Materials	Conversion Costs
Work in process, October 1a	5,000	$1,250,000	$ 402,750
Started during October	20,000
Completed during October	22,500
Work in process, October	2,500
Total costs added during October 2014		$4,500,000	$2,337,500

aDegree of completion: direct materials,?%; conversion costs, 60%. bDegree of completion: direct materials,?%; conversion costs, 70%. 1. For each cost category, compute equivalent units in the assembly department. Show physical units in the first column of your schedule. 2. What issues should the manager focus on when reviewing the equivalent units calculation? 3. For each cost category, summarize total assembly department costs for October 2014 and calculate the cost per equivalent unit. 4. Assign costs to units completed and transferred out and to units in ending work in process.

17-33 1. Do Problem 17-31 using the FIFO method of process costing. Explain any difference between the cost per equivalent unit in the assembly department under the weighted-average method and the FIFO method. 2. Should Larsens managers choose the weighted-average method or the FIFO method? Explain briefly.