Question

Difficulty: MediumFactors of Production and Their Rewards

Match each factor of production on the left with its corresponding economic reward and defining characteristic on the right.

  • LandEarns rent; natural gift whose total supply is fixed and perfectly inelastic.
  • LabourEarns wages or salary; human physical or mental effort in production.
  • CapitalEarns interest; man-made wealth or assets used to produce further wealth.
  • EntrepreneurshipEarns profit; residual income for organizing production and bearing uninsurable risks.

Answer

Land is matched with Rent (fixed natural supply), Labour with Wages/Salaries (human effort), Capital with Interest (man-made productive assets), and Entrepreneurship with Profit (residual return for risk-bearing).
Each factor of production contributes a specific economic role and receives a designated type of return: Land earns Rent due to its fixed natural availability; Labour receives Wages for human productive effort; Capital earns Interest as a return on accumulated wealth used for production; and Entrepreneurship receives Profit as a residual return for decision-making and risk-taking.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the reward and characteristics of Land
Land is a primary, free gift of nature with fixed supply that receives Rent.
Land cannot be expanded in total quantity by human effort.
2
Identify the reward and characteristics of Labour
Labour represents human mental or physical effort paid via Wages or Salaries.
Labour is inseparable from the worker.
3
Identify the reward and characteristics of Capital
Capital represents man-made assets created for further wealth creation, receiving Interest.
Capital depreciates over time and is accumulated through saving and investment.
4
Identify the reward and characteristics of Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship organizes land, labour, and capital, taking business risks to earn Profit.
Unlike contractual payments (wages, rent, interest), profit is a residual reward.

Key Concept

Factors of Production and Their Rewards
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