ECON 1B03 Final: Chapters Review part 3

PROFIT MAXIMIZATION

Reminders:

Q: Quantity, TC: Total Costs, VC: Variable Costs, MC: Marginal Costs, MR: Marginal Revenue, TR: Total Revenue

1. Suppose the market for DVD movies is perfectly competitive. The industry price for the movies is $24, and a typical firm has the following total cost data:

a. Calculate the TR, MR, and MC for each level of output.

b. What condition must be met for the firm to maximize profits? What is the profit maximizing level of output and price for this firm? How much profit would be made?

2. Now suppose that some firms have been able to differentiate their DVDs, and the market has become monopolistically competitive. A typical firm now has the following demand schedule and total cost data:

a. Calculate the TR, MR, and MC for each level of output.

b. What condition must be met for the firm to maximize profits? What is the profit maximizing level of output and price for this firm? How much profit would be made?

A. A competitive firm

1. can consider only its location in setting the price.
2. must base its competitive price on product differentiation.
3. has the ability to set its own price.
4. must accept the price determined by the intersection of the market supply and demand curves.
5. has no supply curve.

B. If a firm is making an economic profit, then

1. the factors of production are being paid their opportunity costs.
2. there will be no change in the number of firms if the industry is perfectly competitive.
3. the factors of production are being paid less than their opportunity costs.
4. the factors of production are being paid more than their opportunity costs.
5. the firm will exit the industry

C. Along a downward-sloping monopoly demand curve,

1. marginal revenue is greater than price.
2. the elasticity of demand is constant.
3. marginal revenue decreases when the price decreases.
4. marginal revenue is equal to zero when the price is equal to zero

D. If, in the short run, a perfectly competitive firm is producing at a point where the total cost is greater than total revenue, then the firm should

1. shut down because economic profits are negative.
2. continue to produce as long as P > AVC.
3. continue to produce because accounting profits are positive.
4. set a higher price for its output.
5. set a lower price for its output

E. For a perfectly competitive firm, the demand curve is

1. the marginal revenue curve.
2. perfectly inelastic.
3. always equal to marginal cost.
4. the same as the market demand curve

F. A firm in a(n) industry will have the most elastic demand curve

1. monopolistic
2. oligopolistic
3. monopolistically competitive
4. perfectly competitive

G. If the demand curve of a monopolist is in the inelastic range, then

1. total revenue will fall if the price increases.
2. total revenue will be unchanged if the price increases.
3. total revenue will rise if the price increases.
4. the total supply will increase by an equal amount if demand increases.
5. the price will be unchanged if total revenue increases

H. Monopolistic competition and oligopoly are examples of

1. monopoly.
2. perfect competition.
3. theories of consumer behavior.
4. imperfect competition.
5. the extreme cases on the market structure continuum

I. Under which market structure do firms face the flattest (most elastic) demand curve?

1. perfect competition
2. monopolistic competition
3. oligopoly
4. monopoly

J. At the point of long-run equilibrium for a perfectly competitive firm,

1. economic profits are zero.
2. TR > TC.
3. TR < TC.
4. P = AVC.
5. normal profits are zero.