ECON 1010 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Marginal Revenue, Marginal Cost, Ikea

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jadeplatypus42

29 Apr 2013

School

University of Manitoba

Department

Economics

Course

ECON 1010

Professor

Sarrah Vakili

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ECON 1010 Full Course Notes

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Lecture 13: economies of scale the effects on price, output and profits for a profit maximizing firm. The next diagram illustrates the effects of economies of scale using cost and revenue curve analysis. Note: to understand the following diagram you will need to have covered the profit maximising rule for a business where marginal revenue = marginal cost. External economies of scale occur outside of a firm but within an industry. Thus, when an industry"s scope of operations expand due to for example the creation of a better transportation network, resulting in a decrease in cost for a company working within that industry, external economies of scale have been achieved. Another example is the development of research and development facilities in local universities that several businesses in an area can benefit from. Likewise, the relocation of component suppliers and other support businesses close to the centre of manufacturing are also an external cost saving.

Related Questions

Discuss until July 15, 2018. After the deadline, this link will close.

1. Suppose a firm is operating in a competitive market and is maximizing profit by producing at the point where marginal revenue equals marginal cost. Now suppose that consumer wealth decreases in this market (and the good is a normal good). What might you expect to happen to the profit-maximizing output quantity for the firm?

2. In what ways are profit-maximizing and loss-minimizing the same? In what ways are they different?

3. Suppose that De Beers and the local water utility are both monopolists, in the markets for diamond jewelry and water, respectively. If both monopolies decided to raise prices 15 percent, which monopoly would be more likely to see its total revenue decrease? Why?

4. Until the 1980s, AT&T held a monopoly over the national market for phone services. Suppose that AT&T argued that it was a natural monopoly, because the fixed cost of creating a nationwide phone network generated huge economies of scale, and that there was therefore no welfare loss associated with its monopoly. Counter this argument by explaining how even a natural monopoly causes deadweight loss.

5. Explain why an oligopolist (with few competitors) pays more attention to what its competitors are doing than a producer in a competitive market (with many competitors) does.

6. Given that the market for smartphones is inefficient, explain why consumers of smartphones might not want the price to be regulated.

QUESTION 38

You are the president of the United States. In an attempt to make gasoline prices cheaper, you have imposed a binding price ceiling on gas. What would you expect your critics to say?

	a.	The binding price ceiling will cause firms to minimize their spending on the research and development of alternatives to gasoline.
	b.	The binding price ceiling will discourage individuals from using their personal automobile to commute to work or school.
	c.	The binding price ceiling will increase the likelihood that customers obtain needed gasoline on the black market.
	d.	The binding price ceiling will encourage oil companies to deplete the resource too quickly.
	e.	The binding price ceiling will cause firms to produce only gasoline of the highest quality.

1.05000 points

QUESTION 39

If a firm's long-run average total costs increase as it increases its scale of production, the firm is experiencing:

	a.	increasing returns from specialization.
	b.	diseconomies of scale.
	c.	economies of scale.
	d.	constant returns to scale.
	e.	diminishing marginal product.

1.05000 points

QUESTION 40

A(n) __________ in the elasticity of supply or demand in a market for a good that is taxed would tend to __________ tax revenue from that tax.

	a.	increase; increase
	b.	increase; have no effect on
	c.	decrease; have no effect on
	d.	decrease; decrease
	e.	increase; decrease

1.05000 points

QUESTION 41

The costs of a market activity paid for by an individual engaged in the market activity are:

	a.	external costs.
	b.	social costs.
	c.	common costs.
	d.	free-rider costs.
	e.	internal costs.

1.05000 points

QUESTION 42

Assume that the price of rubber increased at the same time that Michael Jordan, arguably the best NBA basketball player of all time, became famous. What do you expect to happen to the equilibrium price and equilibrium quantity of the basketball shoes that are promoted by Michael Jordan?

	a.	Equilibrium price will go down and equilibrium quantity will be indeterminate.
	b.	Equilibrium price will go up and equilibrium quantity will go down.
	c.	Equilibrium price will go up and equilibrium quantity will be indeterminate.
	d.	Equilibrium price will go down and equilibrium quantity will go up.
	e.	Equilibrium price will go up and equilibrium quantity will go up.

1.05000 points

QUESTION 43

The minimum wage law is an example of a:

	a.	price floor.
	b.	law that sets the minimum number of hours that an employee must work for wages during the week.
	c.	law that allows individual employers and employees to make free decisions.
	d.	law that requires quantity demanded to equal quantity supplied.
	e.	price ceiling.

taupezebra466

1. if the government attempts to break up a natural monopoly to enforce competition in an industry

A. the average cost of producing the good will increase

B. the smallest firm will have a significant cost advantage over the larger, less efficient firms

C. the average cost of producing the good will decrease

D. the price paid by consumers will be expected to remain the same.

2. which statement is true?

A. the monopolistic competitor always makes a profit in the short run

B. the monopolistic competitor operates at peak efficiency

C. product differentiation takes place in the minds of the buyers

D. none of these statements is true

3. Price discrimination

A. occurs when a good or service is resold

B. is prohibited by law

C. occurs when a seller charges two or more prices for the same good or service

D. occurs when the seller charges different prices for different quality products

4. Monopolistic competition may lead to each of the following except

A. inefficiency

B. overdifferentiation

C. overcapacity

D. monopoly profits

5. In the long run in monopolistic competition

A. most firms are making a profit

B. the absence of entry barriers ensures that there are no profits

C. economies of scale ensure that there are no profits

D. most firms are losing money

6. Price discrimination means

A. charging different prices for identical goods that have identical production costs

B. paying wages according to race or sex rather than productivity

C. exploiting the working masses by charging the highest single price possible.

D. eliminating all costs so that only pure profits are realized

7. The definition of monopolistic competition includes

A. few firms and ease of entry and exit

B. few firms and barrieres to entry and exit

C. many firms and barriers to entry and exit

D. many firms and ease of entry and exit

8. Which statement is true?

A. there are many firms in a monopolistically competitive industry.

B. monopolistic competitors produce an identical product

C. in order for product differentiation to take place, there must be clear physical differences amont the products sold

D. none is true

9. Long-run equilibrium for firms in monopolistically competitive industries is similar to that for firms in perfect competition in that

A. price equals minimum possible average total cost

B. price equals marginal cost

C. marginal revenue equals average total cost

D. price equals average total cost

10. Which statement is false?

A. Oligopolies are illegal in most states

B. most oligopolies engage in outright collusion

C. Ford motor company is an oligopoly

D. none of these statements is false

ECON 1010 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Marginal Revenue, Marginal Cost, Ikea

ECON 1010 Full Course Notes

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