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A firm chooses its output level, QS, through the choice of inputs. The relationship between inputs and outputs is determined by the production technology used by the firm, but the general relationship assumed to be positive. That is, as you increase the level of inputs (like labor and materials), the output will increase.

But it is also generally assumed that there are diminishing returns to any input.

Why is this?

What is the explanation for this phenomenon?

Please give me an example that demonstrates the principle of diminishing returns of inputs.

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Darryn D'Souza
Darryn D'SouzaLv10
28 Sep 2019

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Related questions

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A firm chooses its output level, QS, through the choice of inputs.The relationship between inputs and outputs is determined by the production technology used by the firm, but the general relationship assumed to be positive. That is, as you increase the level of inputs (like labor and materials), output will increase.

But it is also generally assumed that there are diminishing returns to any input. Why are there diminishing returns to any input?

What is the explanation for this phenomenon?

Please give me an example that demonstrates the principle of diminishing returns of inputs.

According to estimates presented in the textbook, which of the following factors made the smallest contribution to U.S. growth between 1928 and 1997?

A) Technology.
B) Human capital.
C) Physical capital.
D) Labor.

According to economist Hernando DeSoto, the lack of formal property rights in many poor countries limits economic growth because informal property rights:

A) lead to excessive investment in physical, social, and human capital.
B) limit the amount that businesses and households can borrow.
C) result in excessive government regulation.
D) decrease the labor force participation rate.

The theory of convergence depends on the assumption that:

A) population growth falls to replacement levels in all nations.
B) factors of production are mobile across borders.
C) technological advancement slows.
D) production functions have constant returns to scale.

The surge in foreign direct investment experienced by China and India in the early 2000s can best be explained by:

A) their higher marginal productivity of capital, which leads to lower production costs.
B) their lower marginal productivity of capital, which leads to lower production costs.
C) the limits they impose on factor mobility.
D) technological agglomeration.

The idea behind Say's Law is that people work because:

A) they like to work.
B) they want to buy things.
C) they want to accumulate wealth.
D) work gives them social status.

People's knowledge is a type of capital, called human capital.

A) True
B) False

The law of diminishing marginal productivity applies whenever:

A) output is increased.
B) all inputs are increased.
C) only one input is increased.
D) decreasing returns to scale are present.

13.

The theory of convergence argues that poor nations should, if they pursue the right policies,

A) grow at the same rate as rich nations.
B) grow faster than rich nations.
C) develop the same social-welfare structures as rich nations.
D) stop their exploitation by the rich nations.

14.

If increasing returns to scale exist, then an increase in output of exactly 3 percent is most likely to be produced by:

A) a decrease in all inputs of 3 percent.
B) an increase in all inputs of less than 3 percent.
C) an increase in all inputs of 3 percent.
D) an increase in all inputs of more than 3 percent.

15.

The production function is best represented in the following form:

A) Output = A.
B) Output = f(Labor, Capital, Land).
C) Output = A%u2022f(Labor, Capital, Land).
D) Output = [A%u2022f(Labor, Capital, Land)]b.

16.

The effect of economic growth generally has been to make:

A) the poor poorer and the rich richer.
B) the poor richer and the rich poorer.
C) all income levels richer.
D) the rich richer but not affect the poor.

Scale economies describe what happens to output when:

A) one input changes.
B) all inputs change by the same percentage.
C) technology changes.
D) institutions change.

MULTIPLE CHOICE.

1) Which of the following is true of the typical relationship between marginal product (MP) and average product (AP)?

A) The AP curve intersects the MP curve at minimum MP.

B) If MP is less than AP, then AP is increasing.

C) If MP is greater than AP, then AP is falling.

D) The MP curve intersects the AP curve at maximum AP.

TRUE/FALSE. Write 'T' if the statement is true and 'F' if the statement is false.

2) If, for a particular short-run production, we observe that marginal product is decreasing we can conclude that average product is decreasing as well.

MULTIPLE CHOICE.

3) An implicit cost is defined as:

A) the amount by which the money spent on an input to production exceeds its opportunity cost.

B) the difference between an input's explicit cost and its actual cost.

C) the opportunity cost of using a resource that is not explicitly paid out by the firm.

D) the amount by which economic profit exceeds accounting profit.

MULTIPLE CHOICE.

4) The amount of output a firm can produce with a given quantity of fixed and variable inputs is called:

A) total fixed product.

B) average variable product.

C) marginal product.

D) total product.

5) Which of the following statements is true of the relationship among the average cost functions?

A) AFC = ATC + AVC

B) ATC = AFC - AVC
C) AVC = AFC + ATC

D) AFC = ATC - AVC

 

TRUE/FALSE. Write 'T' if the statement is true and 'F' if the statement is false.

6) A firm's production function is the relationship between the factors of production and the resulting outputs of the production process.

MULTIPLE CHOICE.

Scenario 2:
Output (Q): 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Total Cost (TC): $24 $33 $41 $48 $54 $61 $69

7) Refer to Scenario 2. Diminishing marginal returns starts to occur between units:

A) 2 and 3.

B) 3 and 4.

C) 4 and 5.

D) 5 and 6.

8) Which of the following would be classified as a short-run decision?

A) trucking firm's decision to move to a smaller facility.

B) A firm's decision to decrease the amount of electricity used in day-to-day operations by encouraging employees to adopt conservation strategies, e.g., shut off lights when leaving a room.

C) A university's decision to add a new residence hall.

D) A restaurant's decision to increase the number of patrons it can accommodate by adding on a new dining room.

9) Economic profit is equal to the difference between: 9)

1.

2.

3.

4.

TRUE/FALSE. Write 'T' if the statement is true and 'F' if the statement is false.

10) At the point where a firm incurs diminishing marginal returns, total product will begin to decline.

MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.

11) In the context of a production function, the remote order takers in the fast food industry would be classified as:

A) a fixed input.

B) a marginal input.

C) an inframarginal input.

D) a variable input.

Scenario 3:
Total Product (Q): 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Total Cost (TC): $50 $80 $105 $125 $155 $195 $250

12.

13.

increase; lower

decrease; lower

increase; higher

decrease; higher

 

TRUE/FALSE. Write 'T' if the statement is true and 'F' if the statement is false.

14.

15.

 

MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.

16) A labor-intensive method of production is one that:
A) combines a small but sophisticated labor force with a large amount of capital.

B) requires employees to work harder than they would in other occupations.
C) relies on large quantities of labor and smaller quantities of capital equipment. D) relies exclusively on labor.

MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.

17) Assume a firm produces 500 units of a good by using two inputs, capital and labor, whose per unit prices are $10 and $4. Assume also that the marginal physical product of the last unit of capital is 30 and the marginal physical product of the last unit of labor is 10. To minimize costs this firm should employ:

A) more labor and less capital. B) more capital and less labor.
C) the existing combination of resources. D) both more labor and more capital.

TRUE/FALSE. Write 'T' if the statement is true and 'F' if the statement is false.

18) All else constant, a decrease in the per unit price of labor would create an incentive for a firm manager to substitute labor for capital in the firm's production process.

MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.

19) All else constant, as the price of petroleum increases relative to the prices of other inputs to the production process, in their effort to minimize their total costs of production, we can expect to see firms employ:

A) the same amount of petroleum since there are no substitutes for petroleum. B) less petroleum and more of the other inputs to production.
C) less of each of the inputs of production.

D) more petroleum and less of the other inputs to production.

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