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Chapter 7: Production and Cost Flashcards

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514822519technologythe methods a firm can use to turn inputs into outputs
514822520long runa period of time long enough for a firm to change the quantity of all of its inputs (all inputs are viewed as variable inputs)
514822521variable inputsinputs that can be adjusted up or down as desired
514822522fixed inputsinputs that, over the time period we're considering, cannot be adjusted, even if the firm's level of output changes (they remain constant)
514822523short runa time period during which at least one of the firm's inputs is fixed
514822524total productthe maximum quantity of output that can be produced from a given combination of inputs
514822525marginal product of laborhow much output increases with each one-unit rise in employment; the change in total product divided by the number of workers employed
514822526increasing marginal returns to laborthe marginal product of labor increases as more labor is hired
514822527diminishing marginal returns to laborthe marginal product of labor decreases as more labor is hired
514822528diminishing marginal returnsIn all kinds of production, if we keep increasing the quantity of any one input, while holding the others fixed, _________ will eventually set in
514822529law of diminishing (marginal) returnsas we continue to add more of any one input (holding the other inputs constant), its marginal product will eventually decline
514822530total cost; opportunity costA firm's ____ of producing a given level of output is the _______ of the owners - everything they must give up in order to produce that amount of output
514822531sunk costa cost that already has been paid, or must be paid, regardless of any future action being considered
514822532sunk costs______ should not be considered when making decisions
514822533opportunity cost; implicita firms cost is its _______, which includes both explicit and _____ costs
514822534least cost rulea business firm will produce any given output level using the least-cost combination of inputs available for that output level
514822535fixed costscosts of fixed inputs, which remain constant as output changes (i.e rent and interest)
514822536variable costscosts of variable inputs, which change with output (i.e wages and materials)
514822537total fixed costthe cost of all inputs that are fixed in the short run
514822538total variable costthe cost of all variable inputs used in producing a particular level of output
514822539total costthe sum of all fixed and variable costs TC= TFC + TVC
514822540increaseTC and TVC slop upward since these ______ along with output
514822541decreaseTC and TVC slope downward since these ______ along with output
514822542horizontal; vertical; TVC; TCThe TFC curve is either a _______ line or is the ______ distance between the rising ____ and ______ curves
514822543average fixed costthe total fixed cost divided by the quantity (TFC/Q)
514822544fallAFC will always _____ as output rises
514822545average variable costthe cost of the variable inputs per unit of output (TVC/Q)
514822546average total costthe total cost per unit of output (TC/Q)
514822547marginal costthe change in total cost divided by the change in output; tells us how much cost rises per unit increase in output
514822548fallswhen the marginal product of labor rises, marginal cost _______
514822549riseswhen the marginal product of labor falls, marginal cost _______
514822550Uthe marginal cost curve is ____ shaped
514822551lowestthe marginal cost curve intersects the AVC or ATC curve at their ______ points
514822552lowerif the marginal cost is lower than the average cost, producing the next unit will _____ the average cost
514822553raiseif the cost for one more unit (marginal cost) exceeds the previous average cost, producing that unit will _____ the average cost
514822554downwardat low levels of output, AVC and AFC are both falling, so the ATC curve slopes _______
514822555upwardat higher levels of output, rising AVC overcome falling AFC, and the ATC curve slopes
514822556minimumthe MC curve crosses both the AVC curve and the ATC curve at their respective ________ points
514822557variablein the long run, all inputs and all costs are ________
514822558long-run total costthe cost of producing each quantity of output when all inputs are variable and the least-cost input mix is chosen
514822559long-run average total costthe cost per unit of producing each quantity of output in the long run, when all inputs are variable (LRATC = LRTC / Q)
514822560less; greaterthe long-run total cost of producing a given level of output can be ______ than or equal to, but not ______ than, the short-run total cost
514822561less; greaterthe long-run average cost of producing a given level of output can be ______ than or equal to, but no _____ than, the short-run average total cost
514822562plantthe collection of fixed inputs at a firm's disposal
514822563can; can notin the long run, the firm (can/can not) change the size of its plant; in the short run the firm (can/can not) change the size of its plant
514822564LRATCa firm's _____ curve combines portions of each ATC curve available to the firm in the long run
514822565lowestfor each output level, the firm will always choose to operate on the ATC curve with the _______ possible cost
514822566alongin the short run, a firm can only move ______ its current ATC curve
514822567from; varying the size of its plantin the long run, a firm can move ________ the current ATC curve to another by ______________
514822568LRATCas a firm moves from one ATC curve to another, it will also be moving along its _______ curve
514822569economies of scalelong-run average total cost decreases as output increases
514822570economies of scalewhen an increase in output causes LRATC to decrease, we say the the firm is enjoying ______
514822571economies of scale; downwardwhen long-run total cost rises proportionately less than output, production is characterized by _______ and the LRATC curve slopes ________
514822572lowereconomies of scale are more likely to occur at ______ levels of output
514822573lumpy inputsan inputs whose quantity cannot be increased gradually as output increases, but must instead be adjusted in large jumps
514822574diseconomies of scalewhen LRATC rises with an increase in output, we have _________
514822575diseconomies of scalelong-run average total cost increases as output increases
514822576diseconomies of scale; upwardwhen long-run total cost rises more than in proportion to output, there are __________, and the LRATC curve slopes ________
514822577higherdiseconomies of scale are more likely to occur at _______ output levels
514822578constant returns to scale; fatwhen both output and long-run total cost rise by the same proportion, production is characterized by _________, and the LRATC curve is _____
514822579intermediateconstant returns to scale, if present at all, are most likely to occur at some ________ range of output
514822580minimum efficient scalethe lowest output level at which the firm's LRATC curve hits the bottom
514822581large; economies of scalethe minimum efficient scale tells us how ______ a firm grow in order to fully exploit ___________

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