The value of almost everything you own (assets), such as a car, computer, or house, depreciates (goes down) over time. when an asset’s value decreases by a fixed amount each year, the depreciation is called straight-line depreciation. . . . suppose your truck has an initial value of $12,400 and depreciates $820 per year. . . . what two variables are involved in this problem? which variable can best be designated as the dependent variable? as the independent variable?