Week 5 Flashcards
What is the objective of firms?
To maximise profit
What is the formula for profit?
TR - TC
To maximise profit, firms should produce quantity of output where the difference between TR and TC is …
the greatest
What is the formula for Average Revenue?
TR / Q
Average Revenue is equal to what?
Market Price
What is the formula for Marginal Revenue?
change in TR / change in Q
What is Marginal Revenue?
the change in total revenue from selling 1+ unit
What is Marginal Cost?
the increase in TC resulting from producing another unit
A demand curve for a perfectly competitive market is …
Horizontal
The MR curve for a perfectly competitive market/firm is the same as the ….
Demand Curve
How do firms use MR and MC to maximise profit?
Firms need to compare MR from selling an extra unit to MC of producing an extra unit. The difference btw MR and MC is the additional profit (loss) from 1 more unit.
If MR > MC, what is the impact on profits?
Profits rise (meaning firm will expand operation)
Firms what to continue producing units of output until the point where … because …
MC = MR
Cos at this quantity the firm will make no extra profit
The profit maximising output/quantity is where …. (using TC and TR)
the difference between TC and TR is greatest
The profit maximising output/quantity is where …. (using MC and MR)
MC = MR
In a perfectly competitive market, P =
=MR
=MC
What is formula for profit (using P, Q, TC)?
= (P*Q)-TC
What is formula for profit (using P, Q, ATC)?
= (P-ATC)*Q
To maximise profit a firm produces level of output where….
MC=MR
What happens to profit when P > ATC?
Profit earnt
What happens to profit when P = ATC?
Breakeven
What happens to profit when P < ATC?
Loss
In long run what will happen to firms if they can’t cover their costs?
They will close
In a perfectly competitive market, firms continually enter/exit market
What is economic profit?
Revenue minus all costs - implicit and explicit
What is the formula for economic profit?
= TR - TC
What happens to the supply curve when new firms enter the market?
Supply curve shifts to the right
- the more firms in a market there further to the RIGHT the supply curve is.
What is the impact on the market price when more firms enter the market?
Market price decreases (cos supply curve shift right)
What is accounting profit?
Revenue minus all explicit costs
Is economic profit a better view of the health of a business (than accounting profit)? Why?
Yes
- cost it considers all costs, implicit and explicit
What is economic loss?
Where supplier’s TR < TC
Will firm continue to produce if price < AVC?
Yes, in the SHORT RUN even when suffering loss.
But in LONG RUN frims will exit industry if not able to cover all costs.
What happens when firms exit the market?
- supply curve shifts left
- price rises
Do economic profits attract firms to a market?
Yes
What happens to price when firms enter the market?
Price is pushed down (until a typical firm breaks even)