(b) Calculate the firm's profit-maximising level o profit using your answers in part (a). You should see that the firm is making losses at its optimal choice of input and output. Explain in one sentence why the firm chooses to produce a positive output despite making losses.

ENGR.ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
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Chapter1: Making Economics Decisions
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Consider a firm operating in a perfectly competitive market with the following production function:

\[ f(x_1, x_2) = \frac{1}{2} x_1^{\frac{1}{2}} x_2^{\frac{1}{2}} \]

In the short run, \( x_2 \) is fixed at 1 - the firm cannot increase or decrease its amount of this input, and must pay for this 1 unit of \( x_2 \) regardless of what production decision it makes.

(a) Suppose that \( p \), the price of the firm’s output, is 1, and the input prices are \( w_1 = 1 \) and \( w_2 = 10 \). Calculate the firm’s profit maximizing choice of \( x_1 \) and output.

(b) Calculate the firm’s profit-maximizing level of profit using your answers in part (a). You should see that the firm is making losses at its optimal choice of input and output. Explain in one sentence why the firm chooses to produce a positive output despite making losses.
Transcribed Image Text:Consider a firm operating in a perfectly competitive market with the following production function: \[ f(x_1, x_2) = \frac{1}{2} x_1^{\frac{1}{2}} x_2^{\frac{1}{2}} \] In the short run, \( x_2 \) is fixed at 1 - the firm cannot increase or decrease its amount of this input, and must pay for this 1 unit of \( x_2 \) regardless of what production decision it makes. (a) Suppose that \( p \), the price of the firm’s output, is 1, and the input prices are \( w_1 = 1 \) and \( w_2 = 10 \). Calculate the firm’s profit maximizing choice of \( x_1 \) and output. (b) Calculate the firm’s profit-maximizing level of profit using your answers in part (a). You should see that the firm is making losses at its optimal choice of input and output. Explain in one sentence why the firm chooses to produce a positive output despite making losses.
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