The company produces wood pulp for the manufacture of various paper products. The company uses a step-by-step costing system where all direct materials are input at the start of production and switching costs are incurred during the manufacturing process. The following is a table of the company's production numbers in April :

percent complete

	Tons of pulp	direct material	switching cost
Beginning WIP Inventory ( April 1 )	1,600	100%	70%
Production quantity in this period	100,000
total input	101,600
Work in progress at the beginning of the period and completed and transferred out in April	1,600
Started and completed in April	91,400
Ending WIP Inventory ( April 30 )	8,600	100%	60%
total output	101,600
The company still has the following information:
Work in Process Inventory, April 1 :
direct material	$20,750
switching cost	$47,000
The cost incurred in April :
direct material	$233,250
switching cost	$296,560

Require:

1. the equivalent unit, equivalent unit cost and total cost to be allocated of direct material and conversion costs in April using the weighted average method, and allocate this cost to the units completed and transferred out, and the units of work-in-progress inventory at the end of the period. ( 14 points)

2. the equivalent unit, equivalent unit cost, and total cost to be allocated for direct material and conversion costs in April on a first-in-first-out basis, and allocate this cost to the units completed and transferred out, as well as the end-of-period work-in-progress inventory. ( 20 points)

3. List the characteristics of three companies that are suitable for step costing. ( 4points)