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Besanko & Braeutigam – Microeconomics, 3rd edition

Solutions Manual

Chapter 8 Cost Curves
Solutions to Review Questions
1. The long-run total cost curve plots the minimized total cost for each level of output holding input prices fixed. In other words, for a given set of input prices, the long-run total cost curve represents the total cost associated with the solution to the long-run cost minimization problem for each level of output. When the price of one input increases, the isocost line for a particular level of total cost will rotate in toward the origin. Assuming the isocost line was tangent to the isoquant for the firm’s selected level of output, when the isocost line rotates it will no longer touch the original isoquant. In …show more content…

Since average fixed cost is always declining, and since average total cost is the vertical sum of average variable and average

9.

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Chapter 8 - 2

Besanko & Braeutigam – Microeconomics, 3rd edition

Solutions Manual

fixed costs, average total cost must also be declining at all levels of Q if average variable cost is constant. Graphically, average total cost will be declining and asymptotic to the average variable cost curve. 10. The long-run average cost curve is the envelope to the short-run average cost curves associated with each level of output. If each of these short-run average cost curves has the same minimum point, the long-run average cost curve will be a horizontal line tangent to all of these minimum points. Because the long-run average cost curve will be flat, long-run average cost is neither increasing nor decreasing, and the long-run marginal cost curve will also be flat and equal to long-run average cost. Economies of scale refer to a situation when average total cost for a single product declines as the level of output for that product increases. These economies of scale might occur, for example, because workers can specialize in tasks as the level of output increases and the workers’ productivity may increase. Economies of scope refer to efficiencies that arise when a firm produces more than one product. In particular, economies of scope exist if one firm producing N products

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