Economics 2152A/B Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Factors Of Production, Marginal Product, Production Function

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17 Oct 2013

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N: units of labour z: total factor productivity. When changed, affects both output and productivity of the inputs. Also the firm"s demand for labour: mpk: marginal product of capital. Slope of the tangent to the production function. When capital (or z) increases, the mp graph shifts to the right. = zf(nd, k) wnd (everything in real terms units of consumption good) Firm will hire until the next unit hired produces the same amount of output as the firm has to pay for a unit of labour. Since all variables excluding amount of labour is given, profit maximization occurs at mpn = w.

Related Questions

Country A is located on a small island that is isolated from the outside world. The country
has one representative consumer, whose preference is represented by:
U(c, l) = ln(c) + ln(l)
There is one representative fi rm in the economy which is owned by the consumer, it produces
one type of good that can be used for consumption or government expenditure using capital
and labour as inputs. The fi rm owns the capital it uses and it's production technology is
represented by
F(K;N) = zK^aN^1-a
where z is the total factor productivity, and a is the capital share of income. The fi rm pays
all of its profit back to consumer as dividend.
The government of country A spend a predetermined G amount of goods to provide public
services, and it taxes consumer through a lump-sum tax t to finance the expenditure. the
government's budget is balanced:
G = t
Now, suppose that the firm cannot change its capital stock, or improve its production technology in the short period, such that z and K are given.
(a) When describing this economy as an macroeconomic model, what is the set of exogenous
variables? What is the set of endogenous variables that can be determined given the set
of exogenous variables using the concept of Competitive Equilibrium?
(b) Defi ne the competitive equilibrium for this economy, be specific about what it is, what
conditions have to be satisfied who solves what problem and etc.
(c) List the set of equations that will be used to determine all of the endogenous variables.
Which four of these endogenous variables are essentials, such that once you know these
four, all other endogenous variables can be obtained easily?
(d) Write down the four equations that can be used to solve for these four essential endogenous variables, and describe where do they come from. Describe in details the steps of
how would you solve for the competitive equilibrium (without actually solving for it ).
(e) Setup the Social planner's problem for this economy. What is the marginal condition
that pins down the planner's choices.
(f) Now, describe what would happen to c, l, and w if the firm had more capital, such
that Knew > Kold.

2. Which one of the following statements does not indicate an important difference between traditional economics and ecological economics?

Ecological economics places greater emphasis on the importance of energy resources

Ecological economics places greater emphasis on the carrying capacity of the environment

Ecological economics places greater emphasis on the scale of economic activity

Ecological economics places greater emphasis on the importance of natural laws

Ecological economics places greater emphasis on the flow of goods between households and firms

3. The ability of the environment to absorb and render harmless the by-products of human activity is called ...

Carrying capacity

The sink function

Depletion

Throughput

The source function

4. Which of the following is an example of the source function of the environment?

Trees absorb some of the carbon dioxide emitted by human activity

Wetlands reduce the pollution levels in water

Winds carry air pollution away from a city

Humans harvest fish from the oceans

Bacteria break down discarded wastes

5. Which one of the following relationships is not included in the standard circular flow model?

The flow of goods and services from firms to households

The flow of labor from households to firms

The flow of pollution from firms to households

The flow of money from households to firms

The flow of wages from firms to households

6. What statement below best describes how the environment is incorporated into the standard circular flow model?

The long-term availability of natural resources is considered

The pollution generated by firms and households is considered

The input of solar energy is considered

Natural resources are considered as inputs into the production process

The build-up of waste heat is considered

7. What is the primary external input into the broader ecological circular flow model?

Pollution

Solar energy

Fossil fuels

Geophysical cycles

Factors of production

8. What is the only net output of the broader ecological circular flow model?

Goods and services

Solar energy

Factors of production

Geophysical cycles

Waste heat

9. What is the standard economic technique used to compare present and future benefits and

costs?

Property rights

Microeconomics

Externalities

Macroeconomics

Discounting

10. Human activity is producing changes in which cycle that may lead to significant changes in the global climate?

Carbon cycle

Nitrogen cycle

Water cycle

Phosphorus cycle

Organic cycle

11. The Malthusian hypothesis ...

Has proven to be remarkably accurate

Is irrelevant for studying modern environmental problems

Has continuing implications for the debate on current environmental issues

Applies only to developing countries

Applies only to developed countries

12. What is the key to escaping the Malthusian trap?

Increasing productivity per capita

Increasing population

Increasing natural capital

Increasing population density

Definition of property rights

13. Real GNP per capita is defined as ...

GNP divided by population

GNP adjusted for inflation

GNP adjusted for capital depletion divided by population

GNP adjusted for inflation divided by population

GNP adjusted for depreciation divided by population

14. What two factors do standard economics consider as the most important in explaining productivity increases?

Increasing energy supplies and technological progress

Increasing capital stock and technological progress

Increasing energy supplies and increasing natural resources

Increasing capital stock and increasing energy supplies

Increasing capital stock and increasing natural resources

15. Which one of the following statements about sustainable development is false?

Sustainable development requires all energy to be derived from solar energy

Sustainable development considers the scale of the macro-economy

Sustainable development requires a population level below carrying capacity

Sustainable development combines modern and traditional agricultural techniques

Sustainable development requires some type of population policy

16. Which one of the following statements about sustainable development is false?

Some people have complained that sustainable development is a term devoid of specific content

Some people consider sustainable development just a slightly modified form of traditional economic growth

Sustainable development should provide for human needs without undermining the global ecosystem

Sustainable development would redefine economic goals

Sustainable development will require increased resource consumption

17. Which one of the following is an example of demand-side management?

Building a new nuclear power plant

Increasing oil exploration in the Arctic

Building a new solar energy plant

Replacing incandescent with compact fluorescent light bulbs

Increasing reliance on domestic oil sources rather than imports

18. The standard economic approach to pollution control

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