Understand the nature of the transaction: The company is purchasing office supplies for $500 in cash. This means the company is acquiring an asset (office supplies) and reducing another asset (cash).
Identify the accounts involved: The accounts affected are 'Office Supplies' (an asset account) and 'Cash' (another asset account).
Determine the type of entry for each account: Since office supplies are being acquired, the 'Office Supplies' account will be debited to increase its balance. Since cash is being used to pay for the supplies, the 'Cash' account will be credited to decrease its balance.
Write the journal entry: The correct journal entry will be 'Debit Office Supplies $500; Credit Cash $500'. This reflects the increase in office supplies and the decrease in cash.
Review the other options provided: The other options incorrectly record the transaction by either using the wrong accounts (e.g., Accounts Payable) or reversing the debit and credit entries. Ensure you understand why these are incorrect to avoid confusion in similar problems.