Production Function
shows the relationship between a firms variable inputs and its outputs
Variable Inputs
can be increased to increased production
Fixed Inputs
cannot be increased to increase production
at least one input is fixed. the time period that is too brief for a firm to alter its plant size (capital is fixed)
all inputs may be variable. a period that is long enough for a firm to vary all inputs, including capital
the total output produced by the firm
The additional output produced by hiring one more unit of input
-MPL = changeTP/changeL
-MPC = changeTP/changeC
the total product divided by the total number of inputs
Diminishing Returns to an Input
as more and more of a variable input is added to a fixed input, at some point, the additional output produced will decline
costs that change with the level of output these are the payments to the variable inputs in the production function
the sum of the total fixed and variable costs at each level of output
-TC= FC+VC
Total Cost Curve
shows how total cost depends on quantity of output
the additional cost of producing one more unit of output
Average Total Cost
the total cost divided by the level of output
the fixed cost per unit of output
-FC/Q
the variable cost per unit of output
-VC/Q
minimum efficient scale
the smallest quantity at which a firm's long-run average total cost is minimized
diseconomies of scale
decreasing returns to scale
a cost that has been incurred in the past and cannot be recovered
cost-minimization rule