a. Provide a recommendation for the vice president. (Calculations required). b. Suppose that the cost of labor increases to $20 per unit. Determine the effect of this change on your answer to part (a). (Calculations required). 1 c. Determine whether the Fresh Steps factory is subject to increasing or decreasing returns to scale. (Calculations required).
a. Provide a recommendation for the vice president. (Calculations required). b. Suppose that the cost of labor increases to $20 per unit. Determine the effect of this change on your answer to part (a). (Calculations required). 1 c. Determine whether the Fresh Steps factory is subject to increasing or decreasing returns to scale. (Calculations required).
Chapter1: Making Economics Decisions
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 1QTC
Related questions
Question
![2. Fresh Steps, a manufacturer of cat litter, has estimated the following production function:
Q = 50 LK
In this equation, Q is the output rate (quantity), L is the amount of labor Fresh Steps hires per period of time,
and K is the amount of capital Fresh Steps uses per period of time.
Fresh Steps pays $10 per unit of labor and $20 per unit of capital. The company's vice president for
manufacturing has hired you to determine which combination of inputs the factory should use to produce
6,400 units of output per period.
a. Provide a recommendation for the vice president. (Calculations required).
b. Suppose that the cost of labor increases to $20 per unit. Determine the effect of this change on your answer
to part (a). (Calculations required).
1
c. Determine whether the Fresh Steps factory is subject to increasing or decreasing returns to scale.
(Calculations required).](/v2/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcontent.bartleby.com%2Fqna-images%2Fquestion%2Fcaf67940-f28c-4f54-b5c0-2e77312c7e32%2F6d70c324-53b4-47d1-8cc6-a4e98be10079%2Fb9ix1a5_processed.jpeg&w=3840&q=75)
Transcribed Image Text:2. Fresh Steps, a manufacturer of cat litter, has estimated the following production function:
Q = 50 LK
In this equation, Q is the output rate (quantity), L is the amount of labor Fresh Steps hires per period of time,
and K is the amount of capital Fresh Steps uses per period of time.
Fresh Steps pays $10 per unit of labor and $20 per unit of capital. The company's vice president for
manufacturing has hired you to determine which combination of inputs the factory should use to produce
6,400 units of output per period.
a. Provide a recommendation for the vice president. (Calculations required).
b. Suppose that the cost of labor increases to $20 per unit. Determine the effect of this change on your answer
to part (a). (Calculations required).
1
c. Determine whether the Fresh Steps factory is subject to increasing or decreasing returns to scale.
(Calculations required).
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