ECO100Y1 Lecture Notes - Diminishing Returns, Marginal Product, Marginal Cost

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chocolatehippopotamus689

13 Jan 2013

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Document Summary

Production function: relates the output to quantity of inputs (capital, labour) One input (capital) is fixed, while one input (labour) can vary. Short run: gm can vary amount of labour (overtime, lay-offs) Long run: gm can vary number of plants and amount of labour. Total product (tp) -> total output, given labour input. Increase in total output divided by increase in labour input. Law of diminishing returns: the marginal product of a variable input, in the presence of a fixed input, eventually diminishes i. e. keep increasing labour, only have one factory, space will eventually run out, productivity decreases. As number of farm workers increases, the amount of land available to each worker falls, and marginal product of each additional farm worker eventually falls. Total variable cost (tvc): total of all costs total cost of fixed input total cost of variable input. Increase in total cost divided by increase in output. Mc = change in tc/change in quantity output.

Related Questions

1. The slope of the total product curve measures

a. the marginal rate of technical substitution.

b. marginal product.

c. average product.

d. the maximum average product.

e. minimum product.

2. The Law of Diminishing Returns to a variable input (such as labor) assumes that

a. there is at least one fixed input.

b. all inputs are changed by the same percentage.

c. the firm is operating in the short run.

d. all inputs are held constant.

e. a and c.

3. An isoquant curve identifies

a. the maximum output possible, given a fixed budget.

b. the different combinations of goods the can be produced, given fixed amounts of inputs.

c. the different combinations of inputs that can be used to produce a fixed rate of output.

d. none of the above.

4. The ratio of total productivity to the total quantity of a variable input being used in production is

a. equal to marginal physical productivity of the input.

b. constant as employment levels of the input vary.

c. equal to average physical productivity of the input.

d. equal to the marginal rate of technical substitution.

Q1) Soundscape Enterprises manufactures Sonoblast, a device that produces a high-pitched reminder to telemarketers that they have once again disturbed you just when you were sitting 1â2 down to dinner. The production function for Sonoblasts is given by the formula Q = 2KL where Q is in units of output per period, K is in machine-weeks per period, and L is in labour- weeks per period. The machine rental rate r is $512 per machine-week and the wage rate w is $128 per labour-week. In the short run, K is fixed at 4 machine-weeks per period.

a. Give the formulas for the short-run production function and the marginal product of labour (MPL) function.

b. Express variable cost (VC), total cost (TC), and marginal cost (MC) as functions of L and as functions of Q; and average variable cost (AVC), average fixed cost (AFC) and average total cost (ATC) as functions of Q.

c. At what level of Q is ATC minimized? What are the values of ATC and of MC at this level of output?

d. If K is increased to a fixed 16 units, at what level of Q is ATC minimized, and what are the values of ATC and of MC at this level of output?

e. In the long run, with all inputs variable, what is the optimal K/L ration with input prices unchanged? How many units of L and of K would be required to produce the levels of output in 1c and in 1d and what is the average cost of producing Sonoblasts in each case? Explain the relation between your results here and those for 1c and 1d.

lilacchinchilla474

The law of eventually diminishing marginal returns: (Points : 1)

a. states that each and every increase in the amount of the variable factor employed in the production process will yield diminishing marginal returns.
b. is a mathematical theorem that can be logically proved or disproved
c. is the rate at which one input may be substituted for another input in the production process
d. None of the above

The marginal product is defined as: (Points : 1)

a. the ratio of total output to the amount of the variable input used in producing the output
b. the incremental change in total output that can be produced by the use of one more unit of the variable input in the production process
c. the percentage change in output resulting from a given percentage change in the amount of the variable input X employed in the production process with Y
d. None of the above

The rate at which one input X may be substituted for another input Y in a production process, while total output remains constant, is: (Points : 1)

a. the slope of the isoquant curve
b. the marginal rate of technical substitution

c. equal to MPx/MPy

d. all of the above
e. none of the above

Marginal revenue product is: (Points : 1)

a. defined as the amount that an additional unit of the variable input adds to the total revenue
b. equal to the marginal factor cost of the variable factor times the marginal revenue resulting from the increase in output obtained
c. equal to the marginal product of the variable factor times the marginal product resulting from the increase in output obtained
d. a and b
e. a and c

Marginal factor cost is defined as the amount that an additional unit of the variable unit of the variable input adds to ____________. (Points : 1)

a. marginal cost
b. variable cost
c. marginal rate of technical substitution
d. total cost
e. none of the above

In the Cobb-Douglas production function Q=aL^?1.K^?2 ______________. (Points : 1)

a. the marginal product of labor (L) is equal to ?1
b. the average product of labor (L) is equal to ?2
c. if the amount of labor input (L) is increased by 1 percent, then output will increase by ?1 percent
d. a and b
e. a and c