Another farmer purchases nitrate and phosphate fertilizers to produce corn, and the more of any one input he uses, the lower the marginal productivity of that input. Suppose the farmer decides to maximize output for a given cost. (That is, imagine a given isocost line.) Suppose the price of nitrate is 36 cents per pound and the price of phosphate is 24 cents per pound. Moreover, suppose the farmer currently chooses an input combination such that the marginal product of a pound of nitrate is 4 bushels of corn and the marginal product of a pound of phosphate is 3 bushels of corn. Should the farmer use the current mix of nitrate and phosphate? Should he use more nitrate and less phosphate? Or, should he use more phosphate and less nitrate? Please carefully draw a diagram with pounds of nitrate plotted along the horizontal axis and pounds of phosphate plotted along the vertical axis to support your conclusion. Moreover, please report the slope of the isocost line. And please report the slope of the isoquant at the current mix of nitrates and phosphates.
Another farmer purchases nitrate and phosphate fertilizers to produce corn, and the more of any one input he uses, the lower the marginal productivity of that input. Suppose the farmer decides to maximize output for a given cost. (That is, imagine a given isocost line.) Suppose the price of nitrate is 36 cents per pound and the price of phosphate is 24 cents per pound. Moreover, suppose the farmer currently chooses an input combination such that the marginal product of a pound of nitrate is 4 bushels of corn and the marginal product of a pound of phosphate is 3 bushels of corn. Should the farmer use the current mix of nitrate and phosphate? Should he use more nitrate and less phosphate? Or, should he use more phosphate and less nitrate? Please carefully draw a diagram with pounds of nitrate plotted along the horizontal axis and pounds of phosphate plotted along the vertical axis to support your conclusion. Moreover, please report the slope of the isocost line. And please report the slope of the isoquant at the current mix of nitrates and phosphates.
Chapter1: Making Economics Decisions
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 1QTC
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Transcribed Image Text:Another farmer purchases nitrate and phosphate fertilizers to produce corn, and the
more of any one input he uses, the lower the marginal productivity of that input. Suppose the
farmer decides to maximize output for a given cost. (That is, imagine a given isocost
line.) Suppose the price of nitrate is 36 cents per pound and the price of phosphate is 24 cents
per pound. Moreover, suppose the farmer currently chooses an input combination such that
the marginal product of a pound of nitrate is 4 bushels of corn and the marginal product of a
pound of phosphate is 3 bushels of corn.
Should the farmer use the current mix of nitrate and phosphate? Should he use more nitrate
and less phosphate? Or, should he use more phosphate and less nitrate? Please carefully draw
a diagram with pounds of nitrate plotted along the horizontal axis and pounds of phosphate
plotted along the vertical axis to support your conclusion. Moreover, please report the slope of
the isocost line. And please report the slope of the isoquant at the current mix of nitrates and
phosphates.
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