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Zorluk: OrtaPerfect Competition: Price and Output Determination in Short and Long Run

A cassava farming enterprise operates in a perfectly competitive market where the market price is $15\$15 per bag. At its current production of 2,0002,000 bags, the firm's average total cost (ATCATC) is $12\$12, marginal cost (MCMC) is $15\$15, and average variable cost (AVCAVC) is $9\$9. What total economic profit or loss is this enterprise earning, and should it alter its production output?

  1. An economic profit of $6,000\$6,000, and output should remain unchanged as profit is already maximized.Cevap
  2. B
    An economic profit of $6,000\$6,000, but it should expand output further because price exceeds average variable cost.
  3. C
    An economic profit of $12,000\$12,000, and output should remain unchanged.
  4. D
    Zero economic profit, because competitive firms always earn zero economic profit.

Cevap

The enterprise earns an economic profit of $6,000\$6,000 and should keep output unchanged at 2,0002,000 bags.
Per-unit economic profit is the difference between price (P=$15P = \$15) and average total cost (ATC=$12ATC = \$12), which is $3\$3 per bag. Total profit for 2,0002,000 bags is $3×2,000=$6,000\$3 \times 2,000 = \$6,000. Because the firm is producing where price (marginal revenue) equals marginal cost (MR=MC=$15MR = MC = \$15), it is maximizing short-run profit and should not change output.

Adım Adım Çözüm

1
Calculate profit per unit.
Profit per unit = PATC=$15$12=$3P - ATC = \$15 - \$12 = \$3.
Economic profit per unit is determined by the difference between the selling price and the average total cost.
2
Calculate total economic profit.
Total Profit = $3×2,000=$6,000\$3 \times 2,000 = \$6,000.
Multiplying per-unit profit by total output yields the total economic profit.
3
Evaluate the profit-maximization output condition.
MR=P=$15MR = P = \$15, which equals MC=$15MC = \$15.
Under perfect competition, price equals marginal revenue (P=MRP = MR). Output is maximized where MR=MCMR = MC. Since MR=MCMR = MC, the firm is already producing the optimal level of output.

Anahtar Kavram

Short-Run Profit Maximization in Perfect Competition
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