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and b below. Units of Labor/Day 5 6 7 8 9 Units of Output/Day 120 140 155 165 16

ID: 1139700 • Letter: A

Question

and b below.

Units of Labor/Day             5         6         7          8           9

Units of Output/Day          120     140     155      165      168

The price of labor is $20 per day. Ten units of capital are used each day, regardless of output level. The price of capital is $50 per unit.

a. Calculate the marginal and average product of each unit of labor input. Next, calculate total, average total, average variable, and marginal costs. You can create a table for your answers. Use the table icon (it is next to the anchor icon). Please note that your table should have 8 columns as follows: Labor   Output    MP      AP      TC     ATC    AVC    MC

b. Can you tell where diminishing marginal returns sets in?

Labor

Output

MP

AP

TC

ATC

AVC

MC

5

120

6

140

7

155

8

165

9

168

Labor

Output

MP

AP

TC

ATC

AVC

MC

5

120

6

140

7

155

8

165

9

168

Explanation / Answer

Marginal product=Total output for n labor unit- total ouput by using (n-1) labor units

Average product= Total output / labor units employed

Total cost =Fixed cost + Variable cost. here the fixed cost is the cost incurred on capital units and is pcnstant at 500 and variable cost is cost incurred on labor units

Marginal cost= Total cost on n units of product-total cost on (n-1) unit of product.

Labor

Output

MP

AP

TC

ATC

AVC

MC

5

120

6

140

7

155

8

165

9

168

The marginal cost for the last unit is also 20.

Since we don't have data for the output when 4 units of the labor is employed and so we take amrginal product when 5 units of labor is used to be 20 . And hence the diminishing marginal returns sets in when 6 units of labor is employed

Labor

Output

MP

AP

TC

ATC

AVC

MC

5

120

20 120/5=24 20*5+500=600 600/120=5 100/120=0.83

6

140

140-120=20 140/6=23.33 6*20+500=620 620/140=4.43 120/140=0.86 620-600=20

7

155

155-140=15 155/7=22.14 7*20+500=640 640/155=4.13 140/155=0.90 640-620=20

8

165

165-155=10 165/8=20.62 8*20+500=660 660/165=4 160/155=1.03 660-640=20

9

168

168-165=3 168/9=18.67 20*9+500=680 680/168=75.56 180/168=1.07