Average of marginal production Economists use productionfunctions to describe how the output of a system varies with respect to another variable such as labor or capital. For example, theproduction function P(L) = 200L + 10L2 - L3gives the outputof a system as a function of the number of laborers L. The average product A(L) is the average output per laborer when L laborers are working; that is, A(L) = P(L)/L. The marginal productM(L) is the approximate change in output when one additionallaborer is added to L laborers; that is, M(L) = dP/dL.a. For the given production function, compute and graph P, A, and L.b. Suppose the peak of the average product curve occurs atL = L0, so that A′(L0) = 0. Show that for a general production function, M(L0) = A(L0).

Calculus: Early Transcendentals
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ISBN:9781285741550
Author:James Stewart
Publisher:James Stewart
Chapter1: Functions And Models
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 1RCC: (a) What is a function? What are its domain and range? (b) What is the graph of a function? (c) How...
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 Average of marginal production Economists use production
functions to describe how the output of a system varies with respect to another variable such as labor or capital. For example, the
production function P(L) = 200L + 10L2 - L3
gives the output
of a system as a function of the number of laborers L. The average product A(L) is the average output per laborer when L laborers are working; that is, A(L) = P(L)/L. The marginal product
M(L) is the approximate change in output when one additional
laborer is added to L laborers; that is, M(L) = dP/dL.
a. For the given production function, compute and graph P, A, and L.
b. Suppose the peak of the average product curve occurs at
L = L0, so that A′(L0) = 0. Show that for a general production function, M(L0) = A(L0).

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