To model the depreciation of the bakery's equipment, you want to use an equation that reflects the value of the equipment decreasing by 6% per year. This means that after each year, 94% (100% - 6%) of the equipment's value remains.
The formula for the value after n years can be expressed as:
\[ a_n = a_0 (1 - r)^n \]
In this scenario:
- \( a_0 \) is the initial value ($80,000)
- \( r \) is the rate of depreciation (0.06)
- \( n \) is the number of years
This can be calculated as:
\[ a_n = 80,000 (0.94)^n \]
Where \( 0.94 \) represents the remaining value after 6% depreciation.
So, the correct equation to use is:
\[ \boxed{a_n = 80,000(0.94)^n} \]