A.the original cost can be translated as the value when 0 years have passed, so x = 0
then
[tex]\begin{gathered} v(0)=23,500(0.88)^{(0)} \\ v(0)=23,500\times1 \\ v(0)=23,500 \end{gathered}[/tex]Original cost is $23,500
b. yearly rate of epreciation is the value that affects the original cost for each year, in this case it is the base of the exponent in the equation
[tex]0.88[/tex]