A balance sheet presents the financial position of a chemical plant at a point in time. Which of the following does a balance sheet not directly show?

Introduction / Context:
Financial statements include the balance sheet (position), income statement (performance), and cash flow statement (liquidity). Understanding what each statement contains helps engineers interpret project health and communicate with finance teams.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Standard accounting formats: balance sheet lists assets, liabilities, and equity at a date.
• Profit for a period is derived on the income statement, not the balance sheet.
• Retained earnings on the balance sheet reflect cumulative results, not current-period profit explicitly.

Concept / Approach:
A balance sheet shows what the plant owns and owes: current assets, non-current assets, current liabilities, long-term liabilities, and equity. Profit (or loss) for a period is reported on the income statement. While equity includes retained earnings, it does not isolate the current period’s profit figure directly on the balance sheet.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Scan balance sheet sections: assets, liabilities, equity.Identify items listed in options: current assets, current liabilities, and long-term debt are explicit line items.Profit is not a balance sheet heading; it appears in the income statement.

Verification / Alternative check:
Cross-reference with the income statement where net profit = revenues - expenses for the period; that figure updates retained earnings on the balance sheet but is not displayed as “profit” there.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Current asset, current liability, long term debt: All are standard line items on a balance sheet.

Common Pitfalls:

• Confusing retained earnings with period profit.
• Expecting the balance sheet to show performance metrics rather than positions.

Final Answer:
profit