What are economies of scale and diseconomies of scale? How do they arise? What do they imply for the shape of the LRAC curve?
What will be an ideal response?
Economies of scale are features of a firm's technology that lead to falling long-run average cost (LRAC) as output increases. As plant size increases, the minimum attainable average total cost (ATC) for each plant size falls with output. Diseconomies of scale are features of a firm's technology that lead to rising LRAC as output increases. As plant size increases, the minimum attainable ATC for each plant size rises with output. A firm initially experiences economies of scale up to some output level and over this range of output the LRAC curve is downward sloping as output increases. Beyond that output level, it may move toward diseconomies of scale. When there are diseconomies of scale, the LRAC slopes upward as output increases, resulting in a U-shaped LRAC curve.
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In a world with few impediments to capital mobility, the domestic interest rate equals the sum of the foreign interest rate and the expected depreciation of the domestic currency, a situation known as the
A) interest parity condition. B) purchasing power parity condition. C) exchange rate parity condition. D) foreign asset parity condition.
Suppose that the level of real GDP is $1,000,000 and the economy has 10,000 workers. Labor productivity is
a. $100 per worker b. $0.01 per worker c. $1,000,000 per worker d. $1,000 per worker e. Labor productivity cannot be computed with the information given
The international exchange rate system, which was set up just after World War II, continued (with some modifications) until the
a. recession of the early 1960's. b. middle of the Vietnam War. c. middle of the Persian Gulf War. d. early 1970's.
When a demand schedule is drawn as a graph,
a. price is measured on the vertical axis. b. quantity is measured on the horizontal axis. c. the resulting curve has a negative slope. d. the other variables (besides price and quantity) are held constant. e. All of the above are correct.