ch 11 tech, production, and costs
example of technological change
all of the above
whats the dif between short run and long run Is the amount of time that separates the short run from the long run the same for every firm?
In the short run, at least one of a firm's inputs is fixed, while in the long run, a firm is able to vary all its inputs and adopt new technology. no
law of diminishing returns
adding more of a variable input to the same amount of a fixed input will eventually cause the marginal product of the variable input to decline.
How do specialization and division of labor typically affect the marginal product of labor? In the initial stages of production, specialization and division of labor lead to an increasing marginal product for workers,
allowing workers to concentrate on a few tasks so that they become more skilled at doing them quickly and efficiently
afc + avc Which cost measure is the exception? As output increases, the vertical distance between average total cost and average variable cost curves gets _______ and equals _______.
avg total cost avg fixed cost smaller; avg fixed cost
Your company incurs a cost for store rent store rent. in the long run, the cost of store rent
becomes a variable cost
What can be said of its marginal cost curve? The firm's marginal cost curve must be
below the avg total cost curve
postitive tech change occurs
either a and b
positive technical change positive change is when
firm is able to produce more output w same inputs
implicit accounting costs
forgone salary and interest explicit
production function short run production function hold constant
illustrating the relationship between inputs and the maximum amounts of output that the firm can produce with these inputs. amount of capital
A firm might experience economies of scale because
large firms may be able to purchase units at lower costs than smaller competitors
Which of the following terms refers to the lowest cost at which a firm is able to produce a given level of output in the long run, when no inputs are fixed? economies of scale happen when firm's long run avg total cost __ as output increases
long-run avg cost curve decreases
implicit costs how are they dif
nonmonetary opportunities An explicit cost is a cost that involves spending money, while an implicit cost is a nonmonetary cost.
Refer to the to graph on the right. From the origin up until point A, from point a up until point b
output increases at an increasing rate output increases at a decreasing rate
Suppose Sheri owns a restaurant that serves pizza using three inputs: workers, restaurant space (and layout), and ovens. If workers are fixed restaurant space (and layout) is fixed and ovens are variable then Sheri is producing pizza in the
short run
min efficient scale firm that doesnt reach its min efficient scale
the level of output at which all economies of scale are exhausted all economies of scale are exhausted. will lose money if it remains in business
If the marginal product of labor is falling, is the marginal cost of production rising or falling? Briefly explain. If the additional output from each new worker is falling.
the marginal cost of that output is rising because the only additional cost to producing more output is the additional wages paid to hire more workers.
What is the difference between total cost and variable cost in the long run? In the long run,
the total cost of production equals the variable cost of production.
costs are affected by the level of output produced
variable costs
diseconomies of scale What is the main reason that firms eventually encounter diseconomies of scale as they keep increasing the size of their store or factory?
when a firm's long-run avg cost increase w output firms have difficulty coordinating production
economies of scale occur For which of the following reason(s) may firms experience economies of scale?
when a firm's long-run average costs decrease with output. All of the above.
The marginal cost curve intersects the average variable cost curve at the level of output where average variable cost is at a minimum because
when the marginal cost of the last unit produced is below the average, it pulls the average down, and when the marginal cost is above the averge, it pulls the average up.
whats the dif between tech and technological change
Technology is the process of using inputs to make output, while technological change is when a firm is able to produce more output using the same inputs.