The chemical X-2000 is produced using two inputs, benzene (B) and labor (L) in the exact proportions of one gallon of benzene for each two hours of labor services. Firms in the industry have the production function: qX = min[B, 0.5L] The production of X-2000 generates fumes that greatly increase the chance of cancer among workers. The workers would suffer no ill health effects if they were provided with masks containing a filtering system. The masks increase the hourly cost of labor by another $2. Suppose that in response to this health hazard, the government enacts a regulation that requires the firm to provide each worker with a mask. f) Do you think the new regulation will affect the firm’s choice of input levels (i.e. the firm’s cheapest technique) for a given level of output? g) How will the new regulation affect the firm’s total and marginal cost functions?
The chemical X-2000 is produced using two inputs, benzene (B) and labor (L) in the exact proportions of one gallon of benzene for each two hours of labor services. Firms in the industry have the production function: qX = min[B, 0.5L] The production of X-2000 generates fumes that greatly increase the chance of cancer among workers. The workers would suffer no ill health effects if they were provided with masks containing a filtering system. The masks increase the hourly cost of labor by another $2. Suppose that in response to this health hazard, the government enacts a regulation that requires the firm to provide each worker with a mask. f) Do you think the new regulation will affect the firm’s choice of input levels (i.e. the firm’s cheapest technique) for a given level of output? g) How will the new regulation affect the firm’s total and marginal cost functions?
Chapter1: Making Economics Decisions
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 1QTC
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The chemical X-2000 is produced using two inputs, benzene (B) and labor (L) in the exact proportions of one gallon of benzene for each two hours of labor services. Firms in the industry have the production function: qX = min[B, 0.5L]
The production of X-2000 generates fumes that greatly increase the chance of cancer among workers. The workers would suffer no ill health effects if they were provided with masks containing a filtering system. The masks increase the hourly cost of labor by another $2. Suppose that in response to this health hazard, the government enacts a regulation that requires the firm to
provide each worker with a mask.
f) Do you think the new regulation will affect the firm’s choice of input levels (i.e. the firm’s cheapest technique) for a given
level of output?
g) How will the new regulation affect the firm’s total and marginal cost functions?
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