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Firm
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combines inputs of labor, capital, land, and raw or finished component materials to produce outputs
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Production
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•the process (or processes) a firm uses to transform inputs (ex: labor, capital, raw materials) into outputs, [ex} the goods or services the firm wishes to sell.
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Natural Resources
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Raw materials supplied by nature
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Labor
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Human effort directed toward producing goods and services
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Capital
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physical capital, the machines, equipment, and buildings that one uses to produce the product
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Technology
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refers to the process or processes for producing the product
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Entrepreneurship
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the process of starting, organizing, managing, and assuming the responsibility for a business
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The Production Function
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the relationship between quantity of inputs used to make a good and the quantity of output of that good
Q= f [L, K] or Q = f [L]
Q= f [L, K] or Q = f [L]
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Fixed Inputs
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inputs that cannot be changed in the short run
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Variable Inputs
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inputs that can be changed in the short run
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Short Run
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the time period in which at least one input is fixed
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Long Run
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the time period in which all inputs can be varied
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Marginal Product
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the increase in output that arises from an additional unit of input
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The Law of Diminishing Marginal Product
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The marginal product of an input gets smaller as one uses more of that input, ceteris paribus.
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Private Enterprise
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system where private individuals or groups of private individuals own and operate the means of production (resources and businesses)
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Profit Equation
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Total Revenue - Total Cost
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Total Revenue
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Price x Quantity
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Explicit Costs
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out-of-pocket costs, that is, payments that are actually made
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Implicit Costs
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are more subtle, they represent the opportunity cost of using resources already owned by the firm
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Accounting Profit
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total revenue minus total explicit cost
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Economic Profit
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total revenue minus total cost, including both explicit and implicit costs
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Factor Payments
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are what the firm pays for the use of the factors of production
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Circular Flow Diagram
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the total cost divided by the quantity produced
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Average cost
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the cost of producing one more unit of a good
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Marginal Cost
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variable cost divided by the quantity of output
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Average Variable Cost
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costs that have already been incurred and cannot be recovered
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Sunk Costs
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alternative methods of combining/comparing inputs to produce output
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Production Technologies
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refers to the situation where, as the quantity of output goes up, the cost per unit goes down
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Economies of Scale
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a curve that indicates the lowest average cost of production at each rate of output when the size, or scale, of the firm varies; also called the planning curve
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long-run average cost curve
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Both AC and AVC slope downwards as greater inputs are added to a production process, output will increase faster and so AC falls. Beyond the lowest AC point, firms will experience diminishing returns to a fixed factor, and then AC and AVC starts to rise.
Important: DIMINISHING RETURNS TO A FIXED FACTOR
Important: DIMINISHING RETURNS TO A FIXED FACTOR
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Short Run Average Cost Curves
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the situation in which a firm's long-run average costs rise as the firm increases output
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diseconomies of scale
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when a firm gets so large that it operates inefficiently, experiencing diseconomies of scale
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Leviathan Effect
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combine capital, labor and other inputs to create products.
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A production function describes how firms...
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office rent
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Consider ADs and More, an advertising agency. Which of the following would be more likely to be a fixed cost...
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all factors in production can be modified.
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Economists refer to long-term production as a time frame when...
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how much output a firm can produce given their inputs or factors of production.
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The production function describes how...
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the total product curve reaches its maximum point.
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When the value of the marginal product reaches zero, then that point is also the place where...
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$200
Total variable cost = Total cost - total fixed cost = ($35 - 25) x 20
Total variable cost = Total cost - total fixed cost = ($35 - 25) x 20
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A shoe factory produces 20 units of output. Its average fixed cost (AFC) = $25, average total cost (ATC) = $35, and marginal cost (MC) = $15. The shoe factory's total variable cost is ________.
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Variable costs
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________ include all of the costs of production that increase with the quantity produced.
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the $10,000 in foregone rent and the $4 million cost of the mall.
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Danielle wants to expand her business and use the 10 acre property she owns and rents to a local sheep rancher for $10,000/year, to build a mall for $4 million. Danielle's total economic costs of the expansion plan are...
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$60,000 and $38,000.
Accounting profit = Revenue - Explicit cost. Economic Profit = Revenue (sales) - Cost (explicit + implicit costs)
Accounting profit = Revenue - Explicit cost. Economic Profit = Revenue (sales) - Cost (explicit + implicit costs)
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Dixie, a cattle ranch owner, earns $350,000/month in revenue. Her monthly costs include: Administrative cost: $35,000. Feed: $40,000. Equipment and maintenance. $55,000. Labor: $90,000. Transportation: $20,000. Miscellaneous: $35,000. Foregone rent for the land used for cattle grazing: $18,000. The value of her daughter's time that helps on weekends: $4,000. Owner's salary: $15,000. Dixie's accounting and economic profit respectively are...
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average variable cost will decrease and then increase.
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As production increases...
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should have no effect on output decisions
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Sunk costs ________.
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It is a scenario where expanding all inputs proportionately does not change the average cost of production.
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What does "constant returns to scale" mean?
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increase productivity.
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In the long run as the addition of technology becomes possible, firms can...
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none of these are examples; there are no fixed costs in the long run
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Which of the following is an example of a long-run fixed cost?
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many small firms.
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If there are rapid diseconomies of scale in a market, that market is likely to include...
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You would find less expensive designer for the store's advertising posters.
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What would happen if your boss at the bookstore asked you to decrease some of the business' variable costs?
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MaxTV uses electronic components, LED lights, labor and other inputs to produce televisions
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MaxTV's board of directors is re-assessing their company strategy. They take a look at their production function, which describes how...
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The process of production is the means by which a firm uses inputs to produce outputs.
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Select the true statement in the following statements about the activity of production....
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A large order for steel I-beams requires that Steely Dan, Inc. hire 5 temporary workers to boost his company's production line to complete the order on time.
Only variable cost changed.
Only variable cost changed.
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Which of the following is an example of a short run production scenario?
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the quantity of output produced for a given quantity of labor (number of workers).
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Total product refers to...
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6 units
ATC = $450/6 = $75 MC = $450-375= $75
ATC = $450/6 = $75 MC = $450-375= $75
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According to the following cost information, marginal cost and average total cost are equal when the firm produces ________.
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fixed costs; do not change
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A firm's ________ consist of expenditures that must be made before production starts that typically, over the short run, ________, regardless of the level of production.
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explicit costs-
they are payments actually made.
they are payments actually made.
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Salary payments are...
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many firms of various sizes.
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If there are constant returns of scale over a wide range of output in a market, that market is likely to include...
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diseconomies of scale (long -run cost curve)
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What is illustrated by the upward-sloping portion of a long run average cost curve?
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more capital resources.
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A construction company in the United States, in comparison with a small economically disadvantaged country, will most likely use...
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In the short run, at least one resource is fixed; in the long run, all resources are variable.
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How do economists distinguish between the long run and the short run?
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Ads and More was able to change some of its fixed costs and is now under long term conditions.
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Ads and More, an advertising agency, recently expanded their offices as their 3 year lease came to an end. Which best describes Ads and More's situation as its new lease was signed?
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eventually peak then decrease.
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If Jimmy's Dairy, cheese producer, keeps hiring more workers for their production lines, the total production will...
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the cheese molds and machines
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Jimmy's Dairy produces cheddar cheese. Which of the following would be considered capital input for Jimmy's Dairy?
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Diminishing marginal returns
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________ occur when the marginal gain in output diminishes as each additional unit of input is added.
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marginal cost must be higher than average total cost
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If a firm's average total cost is increasing, then...
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the foregone rent from the cattle rancher
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Diego wants to expand his business to build a warehouse and office building for $2 million. He'll use the 5 acre property he owns and currently rents to a local cattle rancher for $5,000. What are the implicit costs of of this expansion?
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$2 per taco
Price - cost per unit = profit margin.
Price - cost per unit = profit margin.
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Pilar's taco trucks sells about 400 various tacos per day for an average price of $5. On average, each tacos cost $3 (includes labor, materials and miscellaneous), Pilar's profit margin is ________.
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$25,000
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An entrepreneur quits a job where she was paid $75,000 to set up her own business. The new firm had sales revenue of $300,000 last year, while spending $150,000 on compensation for employees (excluding the owner), $25,000 on capital, and $25,000 on materials. What was the firm's economic profit?
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Average total cost decreases and then increases.
Marginal cost eventually increases.
Marginal cost eventually increases.
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The following cost information shows that as production increases...
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$80; $60
AVC = VC / Q = $300/5; ATC = TC / Q = $400/5
AVC = VC / Q = $300/5; ATC = TC / Q = $400/5
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When this firm produces 5 units, the average total and average variable cost respectively are
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$300
Total cost = ($25 + 5 ) x 10 units
Total cost = ($25 + 5 ) x 10 units
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Suppose that a firm produces 10 units of output. Its average variable cost (AVC) = $25, average fixed cost (AFC) = $5, and marginal cost (MC) = $30. The firm's total cost is ________.
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the cost of the truck and repairs are sunk costs and her food truck can be profitable.
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Jodie bought a used van to start her food truck business for $8,000. She then spent $7,000 to repair and decorate it. Jodie's mom insists that the business only makes $2,500 per week in revenue which does not cover the cost of the truck. Jodie argues that...
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total cost will keep increasing.
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As production increases
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average total cost is minimized
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Marginal cost is equal to average total cost when ________.
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a foregone opportunity to do something else with your resources
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Implicit costs are ________.
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Because economic cost includes implicit and explicit costs, accounting profit is higher than economic profit.
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Which of the following statements is true about accounting profit?
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Divide total costs into two categories: fixed costs that can't be changed in the short run and variable costs that can be.
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If a solar panel manufacturer wants to look at its total costs of production in the short run, which of the following would provide a useful starting point?
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constant returns to scale
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When the Long Run Average Cost (LRAC) curve is horizontal, it implies that there are ________.
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minimize cost and maximize profit.
minimize cost and maximize profit.
minimize cost and maximize profit.
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In the long run, firms try to decide which combination of technology, capital, labor and other resources they should use in order to
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