Microeconomics, 7e (Pindyck/Rubinfeld)



Microeconomics, 7e (Pindyck/Rubinfeld)

Chapter 6 Production

1) A production function defines the output that can be produced

A) at the lowest cost, given the inputs available.

B) for the average firm.

C) if the firm is technically efficient.

D) in a given time period if no additional inputs are hired.

E) as technology changes over time.

Section: 6.1

2) A production function assumes a given

A) technology.

B) set of input prices.

C) ratio of input prices.

D) amount of capital and labor.

E) amount of output.

Section: 6.1

3) A function that indicates the maximum output per unit of time that a firm can produce, for every combination of inputs with a given technology, is called

A) an isoquant.

B) a production possibility curve.

C) a production function.

D) an isocost function.

Section: 6.1

4) Use the following two statements to answer this question:

I. Production functions describe what is technically feasible when the firm operates efficiently.

II. The production function shows the least cost method of producing a given level of output.

A) Both I and II are true.

B) I is true, and II is false.

C) I is false, and II is true.

D) Both I and II are false.

Section: 6.1

5) A farmer uses L units of labor and K units of capital to produce Q units of corn using a production function F(K,L). A production plan that uses K' = L' = 10 to produce Q' units of corn where

Q' < F(10, 10) is said to be

A) technically feasible and efficient.

B) technically unfeasible and efficient.

C) technically feasible and inefficient.

D) technically unfeasible and inefficient.

E) none of the above

Section: 6.1

6) Which of the following inputs are variable in the long run?

A) labor.

B) capital and equipment.

C) plant size.

D) all of these.

Section: 6.1

7) The short run is

A) less than a year.

B) three years.

C) however long it takes to produce the planned output.

D) a time period in which at least one input is fixed.

E) a time period in which at least one set of outputs has been decided upon.

Section: 6.1

8) Joe owns a small coffee shop, and his production function is q = 3KL where q is total output in cups per hour, K is the number of coffee machines (capital), and L is the number of employees hired per hour (labor). If Joe's capital is currently fixed at K=3 machines, what is his short-run production function?

A) q = 3L

B) q = 3L2

C) q = 9L

D) q = 3K2

Section: 6.1

9) Suppose there are ten identical manufacturing firms that produce computer chips with machinery (capital, K) and labor (L), and each firm has a production function of the form

q = 10KL0.5. What is the industry-level production function?

A) Q = 10K10L5

B) Q = 100KL0.5

C) Q = 100L0.5

D) none of the above

Section: 6.1

10) For many firms, capital is the production input that is typically fixed in the short run. Which of the following firms would face the longest time required to adjust its capital inputs?

A) Firm that makes DVD players.

B) Computer chip fabricator

C) Flat-screen TV manufacturer

D) Nuclear power plant

Answer: D

Diff: 2

Section: 6.1

11) We manufacturer automobiles given the production function q = 5KL where q is the number of autos assembled per eight-hour shift, K is the number of robots used on the assembly line (capital) and L is the number of workers hired per hour (labor). If we use K=10 robots and L=10 workers in order to produce q = 450 autos per shift, then we know that production is:

A) technologically efficient.

B) technologically inefficient.

C) maximized.

D) optimal.

Section: 6.1

12) Writing total output as Q, change in output as △Q, total labor employment as L, and change in labor employment as △L, the marginal product of labor can be written algebraically as

A) ΔQ ∙ L.

B) Q / L.

C) ΔL / ΔQ.

D) ΔQ / ΔL.

Section: 6.2

13) The slope of the total product curve is the

A) average product.

B) slope of a line from the origin to the point.

C) marginal product.

D) marginal rate of technical substitution.

Section: 6.2

14) The law of diminishing returns refers to diminishing

A) total returns.

B) marginal returns.

C) average returns.

D) all of these.

Section: 6.2

15) When labor usage is at 12 units, output is 36 units. From this we may infer that

A) the marginal product of labor is 3.

B) the total product of labor is 1/3.

C) the average product of labor is 3.

D) none of the above

Section: 6.2

16) The marginal product of an input is

A) total product divided by the amount of the input used to produce this amount of output.

B) the addition to total output that adds nothing to total revenue.

C) the addition to total output that adds nothing to profit.

D) the addition to total output due to the addition of one unit of all other inputs.

E) the addition to total output due to the addition of the last unit of an input, holding all other inputs constant.

Section: 6.2

17) When the average product is decreasing, marginal product

A) equals average product.

B) is increasing.

C) exceeds average product.

D) is decreasing.

E) is less than average product.

Section: 6.2

18) Technological improvement

A) can hide the presence of diminishing returns.

B) can be shown as a shift in the total product curve.

C) allows more output to be produced with the same combination of inputs.

D) All of the above are true.

Section: 6.2

19) Which of the following ideas were central to the conclusions drawn by Thomas Malthus in his 1798 "Essay on the Principle of Population"?

A) Short-run time period

B) Shortage of labor

C) Law of diminishing resource availability

D) Law of diminishing returns

Section: 6.2

20) The law of diminishing returns assumes that

A) there is at least one fixed input.

B) all inputs are changed by the same percentage.

C) additional inputs are added in smaller and smaller increments.

D) all inputs are held constant.

Section: 6.2

21) According to the law of diminishing returns

A) the total product of an input will eventually be negative.

B) the total product of an input will eventually decline.

C) the marginal product of an input will eventually be negative.

D) the marginal product of an input will eventually decline.

E) none of the above

Section: 6.2

22) Use the following two statements to answer this question:

I. The marginal product of labor is the slope of the line from the origin to the total product curve at that level of labor usage.

II The average product of labor is the slope of the line that is tangent to the total product curve at that level of labor usage.

A) Both I and II are true.

B) I is true, and II is false.

C) I is false, and II is true.

D) Both I and II are false.

Section: 6.2

23) In a certain textile firm, labor is the only short term variable input. The manager notices that the marginal product of labor is the same for each unit of labor, which implies that

A) the average product of labor is always greater that the marginal product of labor

B) the average product of labor is always equal to the marginal product of labor

C) the average product of labor is always less than the marginal product of labor

D) as more labor is used, the average product of labor falls

E) there is no unambiguous relationship between labor's marginal and average products.

Section: 6.2

24) At a given level of labor employment, knowing the difference between the average product of labor and the marginal product of labor tells you

A) whether increasing labor use raises output.

B) whether increasing labor use changes the marginal product of labor.

C) whether economies of scale exist.

D) whether the law of diminishing returns applies.

E) how increasing labor use alters the average product of labor.

Section: 6.2

25) If the law of diminishing returns applies to labor then

A) the marginal product of labor must eventually become negative.

B) the average product of labor must eventually become negative.

C) the marginal product of labor must rise and then fall as employment rises.

D) the average product of labor must rise and then fall as employment increases.

E) after some level of employment, the marginal product of labor must fall.

Section: 6.2

26) The law of diminishing returns applies to

A) the short run only.

B) the long run only.

C) both the short and the long run.

D) neither the short nor the long run.

E) all inputs, with no reference to the time period.

Section: 6.2

27) The Malthusian dilemma relates to marginal product in that

A) starvation can be averted only if marginal product is constant.

B) because of diminishing marginal product, the amount of food produced by each additional member of the population increases.

C) because of diminishing marginal product, the amount of food produced by each additional member of the population decreases.

D) because of diminishing marginal product, the wage falls as the population decreases.

E) because of diminishing average product, the population will not have additional capital to work with.

Section: 6.2

28) Marginal product crosses the horizontal axis (is equal to zero) at the point where

A) average product is maximized.

B) total product is maximized.

C) diminishing returns set in.

D) output per worker reaches a maximum.

E) All of the above are true.

Section: 6.2

29) Assume that average product for six workers is fifteen. If the marginal product of the seventh worker is eighteen,

A) marginal product is rising.

B) marginal product is falling.

C) average product is rising.

D) average product is falling.

Section: 6.2

[pic]

Figure 6.1

30) Refer to Figure 6.1. At point A, the marginal product of labor is

A) rising.

B) at its minimum.

C) at its maximum.

D) diminishing.

Answer: A

Diff: 2

Section: 6.2

31) Refer to Figure 6.1. At which point on the total product curve is the average product of labor the highest?

A) point A.

B) point B.

C) point C.

D) point D.

E) none of the above

Answer: B

Diff: 2

Section: 6.2

32) Refer to Figure 6.1. Which of the following statements is false?

A) At point E the marginal product of labor is decreasing.

B) At point E the marginal product of labor is negative.

C) At point E the average product of labor is decreasing.

D) At point E the average product of labor is negative.

E) At point E the marginal product of labor is less than the average product of labor.

Answer: D

Diff: 3

Section: 6.2

33) Refer to Figure 6.1. At point C

A) the marginal product of labor is greater than the average product of labor.

B) the average product of labor is greater than the marginal product of labor.

C) the marginal product of labor and the average product of labor are equal.

D) the marginal product of labor and the average product of labor are both increasing.

E) Both B and D are correct.

Answer: B

Diff: 3

Section: 6.2

34) For consideration of such issues as labor's productivity growth nationwide, the relevant measure is the

A) marginal product of labor.

B) average product of labor.

C) total product of labor.

D) wage.

E) cost of capital.

Answer: B

Diff: 2

Section: 6.2

35) The link between the productivity of labor and the standard of living is

A) tenuous and changing.

B) inverse.

C) that over the long run consumers as a whole can increase their rate of consumption only by increasing labor productivity.

D) that over the long run consumers' rate of consumption is not related to labor productivity.

E) that the productivity of labor grows much more erratically than the standard of living.

Answer: C

Diff: 2

Section: 6.2

36) Which would not increase the productivity of labor?

A) An increase in the size of the labor force

B) An increase in the quality of capital

C) An increase in the quantity of capital

D) An increase in technology

E) An increase in the efficiency of energy

Answer: A

Diff: 2

Section: 6.2

37) One of the factors contributing to the fact that labor productivity is higher in the U.S. than in the People's Republic of China is

A) China's larger stock of capital.

B) the higher capital/labor ratio in China.

C) the higher capital/labor ratio in the U.S.

D) China's smaller stock of fossil fuels.

E) the fact that much labor in the U.S. is in management.

Section: 6.2

38) What describes the graphical relationship between average product and marginal product?

A) Average product cuts marginal product from above, at the maximum point of marginal product.

B) Average product cuts marginal product from below, at the maximum point of marginal product.

C) Marginal product cuts average product from above, at the maximum point of average product.

D) Marginal product cuts average product from below, at the maximum point of average product.

E) Average and marginal product do not intersect.

Answer: C

Diff: 3

Section: 6.2

39) Consider the following statements when answering this question;

I. Suppose a semiconductor chip factory uses a technology where the average product of labor is constant for all employment levels. This technology obeys the law of diminishing returns.

II. Suppose a semiconductor chip factory uses a technology where the marginal product of labor rises, then is constant and finally falls as employment increases. This technology obeys the law of diminishing returns.

A) I is true, and II is false.

B) I is false, and II is true.

C) Both I and II are true.

D) Both I and II are false.

Answer: B

Diff: 3

Section: 6.2

40) Consider the following statements when answering this question;

I. Whenever the marginal product of labor curve is a downward sloping curve, the average product of labor curve is also a downward sloping curve that lies above the marginal product of labor curve.

II. If a firm uses only labor to produce, and the production function is given by a straight line, then the marginal product of labor always equals the average product of labor as labor employment expands.

A) I is true, and II is false.

B) I is false, and II is true.

C) Both I and II are true.

D) Both I and II are false.

Answer: B

Diff: 3

Section: 6.2

41) You operate a car detailing business with a fixed amount of machinery (capital), but you have recently altered the number of workers that you employ per hour. Three employees can generate an average product of 4 cars per person in each hour, and five employees can generate an average product of 3 cars per person in each hour. What is the marginal product of labor as you increase the labor from three to five employees?

A) MP = 3 cars

B) MP = 1.5 cars

C) MP = 15 cars

D) MP = -1 cars

Answer: B

Diff: 3

Section: 6.2

42) You operate a car detailing business with a fixed amount of machinery (capital), but you have recently altered the number of workers that you employ per hour. As you increased the number of employees hired per hour from three to five, your total output increased by 5 cars to 15 cars per hour. What is the average product of labor at the new levels of labor?

A) AP = 3 cars per worker

B) AP = 5 cars per worker

C) AP = 4 cars per worker

D) We do not have enough information to answer this question.

Section: 6.2

43) An important factor that contributes to labor productivity growth is:

A) growth in the capital stock.

B) technological change.

C) the standard of living.

D) A and B only

E) A, B, and C are correct.

Section: 6.2

44) Joe owns a coffee house and produces coffee drinks under the production function q = 5KL where q is the number of cups generated per hour, K is the number of coffee machines (capital), and L is the number of employees hired per hour (labor). What is the average product of labor?

A) AP = 5

B) AP = 5K

C) AP = 5L

D) AP = 5K/L

Answer: B

Diff: 2

Section: 6.2

45) Joe owns a coffee house and produces coffee drinks under the production function q = 5KL where q is the number of cups generated per hour, K is the number of coffee machines (capital), and L is the number of employees hired per hour (labor). What is the marginal product of labor?

A) MP = 5

B) MP = 5K

C) MP = 5L

D) MP = 5K/L

Answer: B

Diff: 2

Section: 6.2

46) Joe owns a coffee house and produces coffee drinks under the production function q = 5KL where q is the number of cups generated per hour, K is the number of coffee machines (capital), and L is the number of employees hired per hour (labor). The average product of labor and the marginal product of labor are both equal to AP = MP = 5K. Does labor exhibit diminishing marginal returns in this case?

A) Yes, if capital also exhibits diminishing marginal returns.

B) Yes, this is true for all values of K.

C) No, the marginal product of labor is constant (for a given K).

D) No, the marginal product of labor is increasing (for a given K).

Answer: C

Diff: 2

Section: 6.2

47) An isoquant

A) must be linear.

B) cannot have a negative slope.

C) is a curve that shows all the combinations of inputs that yield the same total output.

D) is a curve that shows the maximum total output as a function of the level of labor input.

E) is a curve that shows all possible output levels that can be produced at the same cost.

Section: 6.3

48) If we take the production function and hold the level of output constant, allowing the amounts of capital and labor to vary, the curve that is traced out is called:

A) the total product.

B) an isoquant.

C) the average product.

D) the marginal product.

E) none of the above

Section: 6.3

49) Use the following two statements to answer this question:

I. Isoquants cannot cross one another.

II. An isoquant that is twice the distance from the origin represents twice the level of output.

A) Both I and II are true.

B) I is true, and II is false.

C) I is false, and II is true.

D) Both I and II are false.

Answer: B

Diff: 2

Section: 6.3

50) A firm uses two factors of production. Irrespective of how much of each factor is used, both factors always have positive marginal products which imply that

A) isoquants are relevant only in the long run

B) isoquants have negative slope

C) isoquants are convex

D) isoquants can become vertical or horizontal

E) none of the above

Answer: B

Diff: 3

Section: 6.3

51) Use the following statements to answer this question.

I. The numerical labels attached to indifference curves are meaningful only in an ordinal way.

II. The numerical labels attached to isoquants are meaningful only in an ordinal way.

A) both I and II are true.

B) I is true, and II is false.

C) I is false, and II is true.

D) both I and II are false.

Section: 6.3

52) The function which shows combinations of inputs that yield the same output is called a(n)

A) isoquant curve.

B) isocost curve.

C) production function.

D) production possibilities frontier.

Section: 6.3

53) Two isoquants, which represent different output levels but are derived from the same production function, cannot cross because

A) isoquants represent different utility levels

B) this would violate a technical efficiency condition

C) isoquants are downward sloping

D) additional inputs will not be used by profit maximizing firms if those inputs decrease output

E) Both B and D are true.

Answer: E

Diff: 3

Section: 6.3

54) An upward sloping isoquant

A) can be derived from a production function with one input

B) can be derived from a production function that uses more than one input where reductions in the use of any input always reduces output

C) cannot be derived from a production function when a firm is assumed to maximize profits

D) can be derived whenever one input to production is available at zero cost to the firm

E) none of the above

Answer: C

Diff: 2

Section: 6.3

55) Use the following two statements to answer this question:

I. If the marginal product of labor is zero, the total product of labor is at its maximum.

II If the marginal product of labor is at its maximum, the average product of labor is falling.

A) Both I and II are true.

B) I is true, and II is false.

C) I is false, and II is true.

D) Both I and II are false.

Answer: B

Diff: 2

Section: 6.3

56) As we move downward along a typical isoquant, the slope of the isoquant

A) becomes flatter.

B) becomes steeper.

C) remains constant.

D) becomes linear.

Section: 6.3

57) The rate at which one input can be reduced per additional unit of the other input, while holding output constant, is measured by the

A) marginal rate of substitution.

B) marginal rate of technical substitution.

C) slope of the isocost curve.

D) average product of the input.

Section: 6.3

58) If capital is measured on the vertical axis and labor is measured on the horizontal axis, the slope of an isoquant can be interpreted as the

A) rate at which the firm can replace capital with labor without changing the output rate.

B) average rate at which the firm can replace capital with labor without changing the output rate.

C) marginal product of labor.

D) marginal product of capital.

Section: 6.3

59) The marginal rate of technical substitution is equal to the

A) slope of the total product curve.

B) change in output minus the change in labor.

C) change in output divided by the change in labor.

D) ratio of the marginal products of the inputs.

Section: 6.3

60) If the isoquants are straight lines, then

A) inputs have fixed costs at all use rates.

B) the marginal rate of technical substitution of inputs is constant.

C) only one combination of inputs is possible.

D) there are constant returns to scale.

Section: 6.3

61) A production function in which the inputs are perfectly substitutable would have isoquants that are

A) convex to the origin.

B) L-shaped.

C) linear.

D) concave to the origin.

Section: 6.3

62) An examination of the production isoquants in the diagram below reveals that:

[pic]

A) capital and labor must be used in fixed proportions.

B) capital and labor are perfectly substitutable.

C) except at the corners of the isoquants the MRTS is constant.

D) Both B and C are correct.

E) none of the above

Section: 6.3

63) An examination of the production isoquants in the diagram below reveals that:

[pic]

A) capital and labor will be used in fixed proportions.

B) Capital and labor are perfectly substitutable.

C) the MRTS is constant.

D) Both B and C are correct.

E) none of the above

Section: 6.3

64) The diagram below shows an isoquant for the production of wheat.

[pic]

Which point has the highest marginal productivity of labor?

A) Point A

B) Point B

C) Point C

D) Point D

Answer: D

65) Which of the following is NOT related to the slope of isoquants?

A) The fact that inputs have positive marginal product

B) The fact that inputs have diminishing marginal product

C) The fact that input prices are positive

D) The fact that more of either input increases output

E) The fact that there are diminishing returns to inputs

Answer: C

Diff: 2

Section: 6.3

66) The marginal rate of technical substitution is equal to:

A) the absolute value of the slope of an isoquant.

B) the ratio of the marginal products of the inputs.

C) the ratio of the prices of the inputs.

D) all of the above

E) A and B only

Answer: E

Diff: 2

Section: 6.3

67) A firm's marginal product of labor is 4 and its marginal product of capital is 5. If the firm adds one unit of labor, but does not want its output quantity to change, the firm should

A) use five fewer units of capital.

B) use 0.8 fewer units of capital.

C) use 1.25 fewer units of capital.

D) add 1.25 units of capital.

Answer: B

Diff: 2

Section: 6.3

68) A straight-line isoquant

A) is impossible.

B) would indicate that the firm could switch from one output to another costlessly.

C) would indicate that the firm could not switch from one output to another.

D) would indicate that capital and labor cannot be substituted for each other in production.

E) would indicate that capital and labor are perfect substitutes in production.

Answer: E

Diff: 2

Section: 6.3

69) An L-shaped isoquant

A) is impossible.

B) would indicate that the firm could switch from one output to another costlessly.

C) would indicate that the firm could not switch from one output to another.

D) would indicate that capital and labor cannot be substituted for each other in production.

E) would indicate that capital and labor are perfect substitutes in production.

Answer: D

Diff: 2

Section: 6.3

70) If the isoquants in an isoquant map are downward sloping but bowed away from the origin (i.e., concave to the origin), then the production technology violates the assumption of:

A) technical efficiency.

B) free disposal.

C) diminishing marginal returns.

D) positive average product.

Answer: C

Diff: 2

Section: 6.3

71) The MRTS for isoquants in a fixed-proportion production function is:

A) zero or one.

B) always zero.

C) always one.

D) zero or undefined.

Answer: D

Diff: 2

Section: 6.3

72) A construction company builds roads with machinery (capital, K) and labor (L). If we plot the isoquants for the production function so that labor is on the horizontal axis, then a point on the isoquant with a small MRTS (in absolute value) is associated with high __________ use and low __________ use.

A) labor, capital

B) capital, labor

C) concrete, gravel

D) none of the above

Answer: A

Diff: 2

Section: 6.3

73) Which of the following examples represents a fixed-proportion production system with capital and labor inputs?

A) Clerical staff and computers

B) Airplanes and pilots

C) Horse-drawn carriages and carriage drivers

D) all of the above

Answer: D

Diff: 2

Section: 6.3

74) You are currently using three printing presses and five employees to print 100 sales manuals per hour. If the MRTS at this point is -0.5, then you would be willing to exchange __________ employees for two more printing presses in order to maintain current output.

A) zero

B) one

C) two

D) three

Section: 6.3

75) According to the diagram below, where each isoquant's output level is marked to the right of the isoquant, production is characterized by

[pic]

A) decreasing returns to scale.

B) constant returns to scale.

C) increasing returns to scale.

D) increasing, constant and decreasing returns to scale.

Section: 6.4

76) In a production process, all inputs are increased by 10%; but output increases less than 10%. This means that the firm experiences

A) decreasing returns to scale.

B) constant returns to scale.

C) increasing returns to scale.

D) negative returns to scale.

Section: 6.4

77) Increasing returns to scale in production means

A) more than 10% as much of all inputs are required to increase output 10%.

B) less than twice as much of all inputs are required to double output.

C) more than twice as much of only one input is required to double output.

D) isoquants must be linear.

Section: 6.4

78) With increasing returns to scale, isoquants for unit increases in output become

A) farther and farther apart.

B) closer and closer together.

C) the same distance apart.

D) none of these.

Section: 6.4

79) Use the following two statements to answer this question:

I. "Decreasing returns to scale" and "diminishing returns to a factor of production" are two phrases that mean the same thing.

II Diminishing returns to all factors of production implies decreasing returns to scale.

A) Both I and II are true.

B) I is true, and II is false.

C) I is false, and II is true.

D) Both I and II are false.

Answer: D

Diff: 3

Section: 6.4

[pic]

Figure 6.2

80) Refer to Figure 6.2. The situation pictured is one of

A) constant returns to scale, because the line through the origin is linear.

B) decreasing returns to scale, because the isoquants are convex.

C) decreasing returns to scale, because doubling inputs results in less than double the amount of output.

D) increasing returns to scale, because the isoquants are convex.

E) increasing returns to scale, because doubling inputs results in more than double the amount of output.

Answer: E

Diff: 2

Section: 6.4

81) The situation pictured in Figure 6.2

A) is one of increasing marginal returns to labor.

B) is one of increasing marginal returns to capital.

C) is consistent with diminishing marginal product.

D) contradicts the law of diminishing marginal product.

E) shows decreasing returns to scale.

Answer: C

Diff: 3

Section: 6.4

[pic]

Figure 6.3

82) Refer to Figure 6.3. The situation pictured is one of

A) constant returns to scale, because the line through the origin is linear.

B) decreasing returns to scale, because the isoquants are convex.

C) decreasing returns to scale, because doubling inputs results in less than double the amount of output.

D) increasing returns to scale, because the isoquants are convex.

E) increasing returns to scale, because doubling inputs results in more than double the amount of output.

Answer: C

Diff: 2

Section: 6.4

83) The situation pictured in Figure 6.3

A) is one of increasing marginal returns to labor.

B) is one of increasing marginal returns to capital.

C) is not consistent with diminishing marginal product of labor or capital.

D) shows constant returns to scale.

E) shows diminishing marginal products of labor and capital.

Answer: E

Diff: 2

Section: 6.4

84) A farmer uses M units of machinery and L hours of labor to produce C tons of corn, with the following production function C = L0.5M0.75. This production function exhibits

A) decreasing returns to scale for all output levels

B) constant returns to scale for all output levels

C) increasing returns to scale for all output levels

D) no clear pattern of returns to scale

Answer: C

Diff: 3

Section: 6.4

85) If input prices are constant, a firm with increasing returns to scale can expect

A) costs to double as output doubles.

B) costs to more than double as output doubles.

C) costs to go up less than double as output doubles.

D) to hire more and more labor for a given amount of capital, since marginal product increases.

E) to never reach the point where the marginal product of labor is equal to the wage.

Answer: C

Diff: 3

Section: 6.4

86) A farmer uses M units of machinery and L hours of labor to produce C tons of corn, with the following production function C = L0.5M0.75. This production function exhibits

A) decreasing returns to scale for all output levels.

B) constant returns to scale for all output levels.

C) increasing returns to scale for all output levels.

D) no clear pattern of returns to scale.

Answer: A

Diff: 3

Section: 6.4

87) Consider the following statements when answering this question;

I. If a technology exhibits diminishing returns then it also exhibits decreasing return to scale.

II. If a technology exhibits decreasing returns to scale then it also exhibits diminishing returns.

A) I is true, and II is false.

B) I is false, and II is true.

C) Both I and II are true.

D) Both I and II are false.

Answer: D

Diff: 3

Section: 6.4

88) The textbook discusses the carpet industry situated in the southeastern U.S., and the authors indicate that smaller carpet mills have __________ returns to scale while larger mills have __________ returns to scale.

A) increasing, decreasing

B) increasing, constant

C) constant, decreasing

D) constant, increasing

Answer: D

Diff: 2

Section: 6.4

89) Which scenario below would lead to lower profits as we double the inputs used by the firm?

A) Increasing returns to scale with constant input prices

B) Constant returns to scale with constant input prices

C) Constant returns to scale with rising input prices (perhaps because the firm is not a price-taker in the input markets)

D) all of the above

Answer: C

Diff: 2

Section: 6.4

90) Which of the following production functions exhibits constant returns to scale?

A) q = KL

B) q = KL0.5

C) q = K + L

D) q = log(KL)

Answer: C

Diff: 2

Section: 6.4

91) Does it make sense to consider the returns to scale of a production function in the short run?

A) Yes, this is an important short-run characteristic of production functions.

B) Yes, returns to scale determine the diminishing marginal returns of the inputs.

C) No, returns to scale is a property of the consumer's utility function.

D) No, we cannot change all of the production inputs in the short run.

Answer: D

Diff: 2

Section: 6.4

92) Use the following statements to answer this question:

I. We cannot measure the returns to scale for a fixed-proportion production function.

II. Production functions with inputs that are perfect substitutes always exhibit constant returns to scale.

A) I and II are true.

B) I is true and II is false.

C) II is true and I is false.

D) I and II are false.

Answer: D

Diff: 2

Section: 6.4

93) Ronald's Outboard Motor Manufacturing plant production function is y(K, L) = 25[pic]. Ronald is investigating a new outboard motor manufacturing technique. Ronald believes that if he adopts the new technique, his production function for outboard motors will become:

y(K, L) = 36[pic]. Given that Ronald uses 4 units of machine hours, sketch his production function with the old technique and the new technique as he increases labor hours. With the new technique, do labor hours contribute more to production?

Answer:

[pic]

The slope of the new production function is steeper for all labor uses. This implies the marginal product of labor is higher for the new technique. This means that labor hours are contributing at a higher rate for the new technique.

Diff: 2

Section: 6.1

94) Wally describes himself as a resilient fundamentalist when it comes to making investments in the stock market. At the moment, Wally uses only periodicals from the library when analyzing corporate fundamentals. The number of firms he can analyze in a day is given by the function: y(L) = 2[pic], where L is the number of hours a day he works. Sketch Wally's total number of firms analyzed as he increases his hours of work. If Wally begins using internet sources to learn about corporate fundamentals, the number of firms he can analyze in a day is given by the function: y(L) = 5[pic]. Sketch Wally's total number of firms analyzed as he increases his hours of work and uses the internet.

Answer:

[pic]

Diff: 1

Section: 6.1

95) Complete the following table:

[pic]

Answer:

[pic]

Diff: 1

Section: 6.2

96) Complete the following table:

[pic]

Answer:

[pic]

Diff: 2

Section: 6.2

97) A bakery operating in the short run has found that when the level of employment in its baking room was increased from 4 to 10, in increments of one, its corresponding levels of production of bread were 110, 115, 122, 127, 130, 132, and 133.

a. Calculate the marginal product of labor.

b. Explain whether this production function exhibits diminishing marginal productivity of labor.

Answer:

a.

|L |TP |MP |

|4 |110 | |

| | |5 |

|5 |115 | |

| | |7 |

|6 |122 | |

| | |5 |

|7 |127 | |

| | |3 |

|8 |130 | |

| | |2 |

|9 |132 | |

| | |1 |

|10 |133 | |

b.

This production function does exhibit diminishing returns to labor. Inputs of labor of 7 and greater units produce diminishing marginal returns, because the MP of labor is decreasing in this input range.

Diff: 1

Section: 6.2

98) The production function of pizzas for One Guy's Pizza shop is y(K, L) = 4[pic].

K represents the number of ovens One Guy's Pizza uses and is fixed in the short-run at 4 ovens. L represents the number of labor hours One Guy's Pizza employees and is variable in the short and long-run. Fill in the empty columns in the table below.

|Pizzas |K |L |MPL (L, K) = [pic] |MPK (K, L) = [pic] |

| |4 |1 | | |

| |4 |4 | | |

| |4 |9 | | |

| |4 |16 | | |

Answer:

|Pizzas |K |L |MPL (L, K) = [pic] |MPK (K, L) = [pic] |

|8 |4 |1 |4 |1 |

|16 |4 |4 |2 |2 |

|24 |4 |9 |[pic] |3 |

|32 |4 |16 |1 |4 |

Diff: 1

Section: 6.2

99) The production function for Cogswell Cogs is y(K, L) = [pic]. K represents the number of robot hours used in the production process while L represents the number of labor hours. The marginal productivity of a labor hour is MPL = [pic] Fill in the empty columns in the table below. Use the information in the table to sketch Cogswell's marginal product of labor curve while robot hours are fixed at 9.

|Output |Robot Hours |Labor Hours |MPL = [pic] |

| |9 |8 | |

| |9 |27 | |

| |9 |64 | |

| |9 |125 | |

Answer:

|Output |Robot Hours |Labor Hours |MPL = [pic] |

|6 |9 |8 |0.25 |

|9 |9 |27 |0.11 |

|12 |9 |64 |0.063 |

|15 |9 |125 |0.04 |

A sketch of the marginal product of labor is

[pic]

Diff: 2

Section: 6.2

100) Tad's Baitshop currently uses no computers in determining inventory. The number of items that can be inventoried in a day is given by y(L) = [pic], where L is the number of labor hours used. If Tad purchases a computer to be used for inventory purposes, the number of items that can be inventoried in a day becomes y(L) = 2[pic]. Use the information in the table below to sketch Tad's marginal product of labor curves before and after the use of the computer for inventory purposes.

|Old Quantity |New Quantity |L |Old MP of labor |New MP of labor |

|Inventoried |Inventoried | | | |

|2 |4 |4 |0.25 |0.5 |

|4 |8 |16 |0.125 |0.25 |

|5 |10 |25 |0.10 |0.20 |

Answer:

[pic]

Diff: 1

Section: 6.2

101) Trisha's Fashion Boutique production function for dresses is y(K, L) = K1/2L1/3, where K is the number of sewing machines and L is the amount of labor hours employed. Trisha pays $15 per labor hour and sells each dress for $87.50. Also, Trisha currently has 4 sewing machines. Fill in the table below. How many units of labor will Trisha employ before the value of the marginal product of labor is less than the cost of a labor hour?

|y |L |MPL = [pic] |$87.50(MPL) |

| |1 | | |

| |20 | | |

| |40 | | |

| |60 | | |

| |80 | | |

|Answer: y |L |MPL = [pic] |$87.50(MPL) |

| 2 |1 |0.666667 |58.33333 |

|5.428835 |20 |0.245602 |21.49018 |

|6.839904 |40 |0.194935 |17.05677 |

|7.829735 |60 |0.170291 |14.90046 |

|8.617739 |80 |0.15472 |13.53797 |

As the above table illustrates, when Trisha moves from employing 40 labor hours to 60 labor hours, the value of the marginal product of labor falls under the marginal cost of labor at $15.

Diff: 2

Section: 6.2

102) Sarah's Pretzel Plant produces pretzels according to the function y(K, L) = 100[pic].

K is the number of ovens, and L is the number of labor hours Sarah uses to produce her pretzels. At the moment, Sarah uses 9 ovens. Also, she plans to hire 64 labor hours. Sarah can sell each unit of pretzels produced for $3.50. Fill in the table below. If Sarah increased her use of labor hours to 65, would the value of the marginal product of labor exceed the wage rate of $8.50?

|y(9, L) |L |MPL = [pic] |$3.50 ∗ MPL |

| |64 | | |

| |65 | | |

Answer:

|y(9, L) |L |MPL = [pic] |$3.50 * MPL |

|1,200 |64 |6.25 |$21.88 |

|1,206.22 |65 |6.19 |$21.66 |

If Sarah uses 65 hours of labor, the value of the marginal product of the 65th labor hour exceeds the $8.50 cost of labor. This suggests that if Sarah goes beyond 64 units of labor hours, her profits will be higher.

Diff: 2

Section: 6.2

103) Laura's Internet Services firm can design computer systems according to the function

y(K, L) = [pic], where K is the amount of Gigabyte storage she has available and L is the amount of labor hours she employs. Currently, Laura has 125 gigabytes of storage. Sketch the change in the marginal product of labor curve for Laura's firm for values of L = 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, if she increases her gigabyte storage capacity to 216.

Answer: We can approximate the change in the marginal product of labor as indicated in the following table. The marginal product of labor has increased when Laura added additional storage capacity.

[pic]

A sketch of the marginal product of labor is

[pic]

Diff: 2

Section: 6.2

104) You are given the following table for a production process which has two variable outputs.

[pic]

a. Sketch the isoquants corresponding to the following output levels: 60, 70, 85, 95, 105, and 115. What returns to scale does the production function exhibit? What can be said of the MRTS?

b. Analyze the marginal productivity of labor and capital for the production function.

Answer: a.

It is possible to construct isoquants for the following rates of output: 60, 70, 85, 95, 105, and 115. Linear isoquants indicate that the MRTS is constant. Returns to scale can be determined by examining the main diagonal (i.e., 1L, 1K, 2L, 2K, etc.). With move from 1L, 1K to 2L, 2K, output rises from 35 to 70, which is double. We conclude as we move from 1L, 1K to 2L, 2K, that there are constant returns to scale. As we move from 2L, 2K to 3L, 3K, input has been increased 1 1/2 times. Output rises from 70 to 95, a 1.36 proportional increase. From 2L, 2K to 3L, 3K, the production function exhibits decreasing returns to scale. It can be demonstrated that the function exhibits decreasing returns for the remaining input combinations.

b.

[pic]

The production function exhibits decreasing marginal product of capital or labor initially and then constant marginal productivity from thereafter. This can be seen by holding one input constant and increasing the other input. For example, hold capital constant at three units. The MPs of labor are 70, 15, and then 10, 10, 10. Next, hold labor constant at four units. The MPs of capital are 85, 10, and 10, 10, 10.

Diff: 2

Section: 6.3

105) The production function for Spacely Sprockets is y(K, L) = [pic]. K represents the number of robot hours used in the production process while L represents the number of labor hours. Using the information in the table below, sketch representative Isoquants for Spacely's production process.

|output |K |L |

|10 |100 |1 |

|10 |10 |10 |

|10 |5 |20 |

|10 |2 |50 |

Answer:

[pic]

Diff: 1

Section: 6.3

106) Bridget's Brewery production function is given by y(K, L) = [pic], where K is the number of vats she uses and L is the number of labor hours. Does this production process exhibit increasing, constant or decreasing returns to scale? Holding the number of vats constant at 4, is the marginal product of labor increasing, constant or decreasing as more labor is used?

Answer: Since

[pic]

we know the production process exhibits constant returns to scale. Holding the number of vats constant at 4 will still result in a downward sloping marginal product of labor curve. That is the marginal product of labor decreases as more labor is used.

Diff: 2

Section: 6.4

107) Michael's Dairy farm production function is given by y(K, L) = [pic], where K is the number of machine milkers and L is the amount of labor hours he uses. Does this production function exhibit increasing, constant or decreasing returns to scale? Holding the number of machine milkers constant at 16, is the marginal product of labor increasing, constant or decreasing as more labor is used?

Answer: Since

[pic]

we know the production process exhibits decreasing returns to scale. Holding the number of machine milers constant at 16 will still result in a downward sloping marginal product of labor curve. That is, the marginal product of labor decreases as more labor is used.

Diff: 2

Section: 6.4

108) Leann's Telecommunication firm production function is given by y(K, L) = 200(KL)2/3, where K is the number of internet servers and L is the number of labor hours she uses. Does this production function exhibit increasing, constant or decreasing returns to scale? Holding the number of internet servers constant at 8, is the marginal product of labor increasing, constant or decreasing as more labor is used?

Answer: Since

[pic]

we know the production process exhibits increasing returns to scale. Holding the number of internet servers constant at 8 will still result in a downward sloping marginal product of labor curve. That is, the marginal product of labor decreases as more labor is used.

Diff: 2

Section: 6.4

109) Homer's boat manufacturing plant production function is y(K, L) = [pic], where K is the number of hydraulic lifts and L is the number of labor hours he employs. Does this production function exhibit increasing, decreasing or constant returns to scale? At the moment, Homer uses 20,000 labor hours and 50 hydraulic lifts. Suppose that Homer can use any amount of either input without affecting the market costs of the inputs. If Homer increased his use of labor hours and hydraulic lifts by 10%, how much would his production increase? Increasing the use of both inputs by 10% will result in Homer's costs increasing by exactly 10%. If Homer increases his use of all inputs by 10%, what will increase more, his production or his costs? Given that Homer can sell as many boats as he produces for $75,000, does his profits go up by 10% with a 10% increase in input use?

Answer: Since

[pic]

we know the production process exhibits decreasing returns to scale. Increasing input use by 10% will result in production increasing by less than 10%. According to the equation above, output would increase by about 6.9%. Since Homer can sell as many boats as he likes for $75,000, we know that Homer's revenue increases by 6.9%. Since costs go up by a larger amount than revenue, Homer's profits will not increase by 10%. This can be shown as follows:

[pic]

Diff: 3

Section: 6.4

110) Marge's Hair Salon production function is y(K, L) = [pic], where K is the number of hair dryers and L is the number of labor hours she employs. Does this production function exhibit increasing, decreasing, or constant returns to scale? At the moment, Marge uses 16 labor hours and 16 hair dryers. Suppose that Marge can use any amount of either input without affecting the market costs of the inputs. If Marge increased her use of labor hours and hair dryers by 10%, how much would her production increase? Increasing the use of both inputs by 10% will result in Marge's costs increasing by exactly 10%. If Marge increases her use of all inputs by 10%, what will increase more, her production or her costs? Given that Marge earns $12.50 for each unit produced, do her profits go up or down when she increases her input use by 10%?

Answer: Since

[pic]

we know the production process exhibits constant returns to scale. Increasing input use by 10% will result in production increasing by 10%. According to the equation above, output would increase by 10%. Since Marge can sell as many units as she likes for $12.50, we know that Marge's revenue increase by 10%. Since costs go up by the same amount as revenue, Marge's profits go up by 10%.

[pic]

Diff: 2

Section: 6.4

111) Apu's Squishy production function is y(K, L) = [pic], where K is the number of squishy machines and L is the number of labor hours he employs. Does this production function exhibit increasing, decreasing or constant returns to scale? At the moment, Apu uses 2 squishy machines and 4 labor hours. Suppose that Apu can use any amount of either input without affecting the market costs of the inputs. If Apu increased his use of labor hours and squishy machines by 100%, how much would his production increase? Increasing the use of both inputs by 100% will result in Apu's costs increasing by exactly 100%. If Apu increases his use of all inputs by 100%, what will increase more his production or his costs? Given that Apu can sell as many squishies as he produces for $1.00, do his profits go up or down when he increases his input use by 100%?

Answer: Since

[pic] we know the production process exhibits increasing returns to scale. Increasing input use by 100% will result in production increasing by more than 100%. Since Apu can sell as many units as he likes for $1.00, we know that Apu's revenue increases by more than 100%. Since costs go up by only 100%, Apu's profits go up by more than 100%. This can be shown as follows:

[pic]

Diff: 2

Section: 6.4

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