MGEA02H3 Study Guide - Quiz Guide: Diminishing Returns, Average Variable Cost, Marginal Cost

The law of diminishing marginal returns states

A) that at some point adding more of a fixed input to a given amount of variable inputs will cause the marginal product of the variable input to decline.

B) that at some point adding more of a variable input to a given amount of a fixed input will cause the marginal product of the variable input to decline.

C) that in the presence of a fixed factor, at some point average product of labor starts to fall as more and more variable inputs are added.

D) average total costs of production initially fall and after some point starts to rise at a decreasing rate as output increases.

1. The slope of the total product curve measures

a. the marginal rate of technical substitution.

b. marginal product.

c. average product.

d. the maximum average product.

e. minimum product.

2. The Law of Diminishing Returns to a variable input (such as labor) assumes that

a. there is at least one fixed input.

b. all inputs are changed by the same percentage.

c. the firm is operating in the short run.

d. all inputs are held constant.

e. a and c.

3. An isoquant curve identifies

a. the maximum output possible, given a fixed budget.

b. the different combinations of goods the can be produced, given fixed amounts of inputs.

c. the different combinations of inputs that can be used to produce a fixed rate of output.

d. none of the above.

4. The ratio of total productivity to the total quantity of a variable input being used in production is

a. equal to marginal physical productivity of the input.

b. constant as employment levels of the input vary.

c. equal to average physical productivity of the input.

d. equal to the marginal rate of technical substitution.

1. If marginal cost is less than average total cost, then:

A. average total cost is increasing with output.
B. average total cost is decreasing with output.
C. average variable cost is increasing with output.
D. average variable cost is decreasing with output.

2.  The law of diminishing marginal productivity:

A. states that as more and more of a variable input is added to an existing fixed input, after some point the additional output one gets from the additional input will fall.

B. states that as more and more of a variable input is added to an existing fixed input, after some point the additional output one gets from the additional input will rise.

C. explains why marginal costs of production fall as additional units of output are produced.

D. explains why average productivity always rises.