Which Depreciation Method Should We Use?

Atwater Manufacturing Company purchased a new machine especially built to perform one particular function on the assembly line. A difference of opinion has arisen as to the method of depreciation to be used in connection with this machine. Three methods are now being considered:

(a)The straight-line method

(b)The productive-output method

(c)The sum-of-the-years-digits method

List separately the arguments for and against each of the proposed methods from both the theoretical and practical viewpoints.