ECON201 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Diminishing Returns, Isoquant, Production Function

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scarlethyena609

29 Apr 2013

School

University of Waterloo

Department

Economics

Course

ECON201

Professor

Kathleen Rybczynski

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ECON201 Full Course Notes

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Production function: maximum output that can be produced using all possible combinations of inputs on the basis of a given technology. Output = f (l, k, land, raw materials, ef ciency parameter, returns to scale) Capital = k, land, raw materials; land and raw materials absorbed into k for analysis simplicity. Technology = ef ciency parameters, returns to scale; assume held constant. General form of production function: y = f (k, l) Short-run production function, marginal product, and average product. Short-run production function: labour variable, k and tech xed. Mp = slope of tpl (total product of labour), ap = y / l. As l (k constant) eventually mpl and apl . Realized when mpl and mpk are both positive. A process is technologically ef cient if it cannot be shown to be inef cient. Isoquant: locus of all technologically ef cient processes for producing a given quantity of output. Vertical and horizontal segments simply represent constant output.

Related Questions

True/False (Explain) (The explanation is the most important part â no credit will be given for True/False answer alone)

1. âTechnological improvementâ refers to an increase in the amount of capital used, which causes the productivity of labor to increase.

2. A production function that is characterized by constant returns to scale cannot also have diminishing marginal returns to labor.

3. The average product of labor at any level of production describes the average amount by which output should be expected to increase if another unit of labor is added.

4. The short-run marginal cost curve slopes upward when the inputs to production exhibit diminishing marginal returns.

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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

The short-run cost function is: (Points : 1)

a. where all inputs to the production process are available
b. relevant to decisions in which one or more inputs to the production process are fixed
c. not relevant to optimal pricing and production output decision facilities
d. crucial in making optimal investment decisions in new production facilities
e. none of the above

Theoretically, in a long-run cost function: (Points : 1)

a. all inputs are fixed
b. all inputs are considered variable
c. some inputs are always fixed
d. capital and labor are always combined in fixed proportions

A linear total cost function implies that: (Points : 1)

a. marginal costs are constant as output increases
b. average total costs are continually decreasing as output increases
c. a and b
d. none of the above

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)

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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ECON201 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Diminishing Returns, Isoquant, Production Function

ECON201 Full Course Notes

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