Theory of Production and Costs. - One Line Questions

1. Normal profit is considered: The minimum level of profit required to keep a firm in operation, covering implicit costs
2. In the long run, the firm can adjust all its inputs. The long-run average cost (LRAC) curve is: The envelope of all short-run average cost curves
3. If MP > AP, then: AP is increasing
4. If MP < AP, then: AP is decreasing
5. When MC < ATC, then: ATC is decreasing
6. When MC < AVC, then: AVC is decreasing
7. Which cost curve is typically shaped like a 'U' and represents the cost per unit of output? Average Variable Cost (AVC) and Average Total Cost (ATC)
8. Which of the following is a cause of diseconomies of scale? Communication problems in large organizations
9. What is the Total Product (TP) when 5 units of labor are employed and the marginal product of the 5th unit is 10? Cannot be determined without knowing the TP of the 4th unit
10. The Average Product (AP) is calculated as: Total Product / Variable Input
11. An Isocost line represents: Combinations of inputs that a firm can purchase given its budget
12. An Isoquant represents: Combinations of two variable inputs that yield the same total output
13. What is the primary focus of the Theory of Production? The relationship between inputs and outputs in the production process
14. Isoquants are typically: Convex to the origin
15. Explicit costs are: Costs that involve a direct payment of money
16. Implicit costs are: Costs that do not involve a monetary payment but represent the value of foregone alternatives
17. Diseconomies of Scale occur when LRAC: Increases as output increases
18. The ATC curve is also typically: U-shaped
19. In the long run, all inputs are considered: Variable
20. Average Variable Cost (AVC) is calculated as: Variable Cost / Quantity
21. Total Cost (TC) is the sum of: Fixed Costs and Variable Costs
22. What are the main types of costs considered in the Theory of Costs? Total Costs, Average Costs, and Marginal Costs
23. When does the Marginal Product (MP) curve typically start to decline? After the point where the Law of Diminishing Marginal Returns sets in
24. The Marginal Rate of Technical Substitution (MRTS) between two inputs (e.g., labor and capital) indicates: How much capital must be reduced to increase labor by one unit while keeping output constant
25. As output increases, AFC: Decreases
26. Economies of Scale occur when LRAC: Decreases as output increases
27. Constant Returns to Scale occur when LRAC: Remains constant as output increases
28. The production function shows the relationship between: Inputs and the maximum output achievable
29. The AVC curve typically: Is U-shaped
30. The concept of opportunity cost is crucial in production theory because: It considers the value of the next best alternative foregone
31. Which of the following is NOT typically considered a factor of production? Money
32. Which of the following is a cause of economies of scale? Increased specialization and division of labor
33. The MRTS is equal to the ratio of: Marginal Product of Labor to Marginal Product of Capital
34. The slope of an isoquant is known as the: Marginal Rate of Technical Substitution (MRTS)
35. Variable Costs (VC) are costs that: Vary directly with the level of output
36. In the short run, a firm's production decisions are constrained by: At least one fixed input
37. A Cobb-Douglas production function is often represented as Q = A * L^α * K^β. What does the sum (α + β) indicate? The returns to scale (if α + β = 1, constant returns; >1, increasing; <1, decreasing)
38. The point of tangency between an isoquant and an isocost line represents: Both the maximum output for a given cost and the minimum cost for a given output
39. The relationship between Marginal Product (MP) and Average Product (AP) is such that MP intersects AP at: The maximum point of the AP curve
40. The slope of an isocost line is equal to: The negative of the ratio of the prices of the two inputs
41. The difference between the short run and the long run in production theory is: The ability to change all inputs
42. Marginal Cost (MC) is defined as: The change in total cost resulting from a one-unit change in output
43. Marginal Product (MP) is defined as: The change in total output resulting from a one-unit change in a variable input
44. The MC curve intersects the AVC and ATC curves at: Their minimum points
45. Average Fixed Cost (AFC) is calculated as: Fixed Cost / Quantity
46. The Law of Diminishing Marginal Returns states that as more units of a variable input are added to a fixed input, beyond a certain point: The marginal product of the variable input will eventually decrease
47. Economic profit is calculated as: Total Revenue - (Explicit Costs + Implicit Costs)
48. The 'break-even point' for a firm occurs where: Total Revenue equals Total Cost (Economic Profit is zero)
49. Average Total Cost (ATC) is calculated as: Total Cost / Quantity
50. Fixed Costs (FC) are costs that: Do not vary with the level of output in the short run