The Costs of Production
• There are many different types of costs.
• Invariably, firms believe costs are too
high and try to lower them.
Costs
Part 2
Fixed Costs, Variable Costs, Fixed Costs, Variable Costs,
and Total Costs and Total Costs
• Fixed costs are those that are spent • Workers represent variable costs –
and cannot be changed in the period of those that change as output changes.
time under consideration.
• In the long run there are no fixed costs
since all costs are variable.
• In the short run, a number of costs will be
fixed.
1
Fixed Costs, Variable Costs,
and Total Costs Average Costs
• The sum of the variable and fixed costs • Much of the firm’s discussion is of
are total costs. average cost.
TC = FC + VC
Average Costs Average Costs
• Average fixed cost equals fixed cost • Average variable cost equals variable
divided by quantity produced. cost divided by quantity produced.
AFC = FC/Q AVC = VC/Q
2
Average Costs Marginal Cost
• Average total cost can also be thought • Marginal cost is the increase
of as the sum of average fixed cost and (decrease) in total cost of increasing (or
average variable cost. decreasing) the level of output by one
unit.
ATC = AFC + AVC • In deciding how many units to produce,
the most important variable is marginal
cost.
Graphing Cost Curves
The Cost of Producing Earrings
Output FC VC TC MC AFC AVC ATC
• To gain a greater understanding of
3 50 38 88 — 16.67 12.66 29.33
these concepts, it is a good idea to
4 50 50 100 12 12.50 12.50 25.00
9 50 100 150 — 5.56 11.11 16.67
draw a graph.
10 50 108 158 8 5.00 10.80 15.80 • Quantity is put on the horizontal axis
16 50 150 200 — 3.13 9.38 12.50 and a dollar measure of various costs
17 50 157 207 7 2.94 9.24 12.18 on the vertical axis.
22 50 200 250 — 2.27 9.09 11.36
23 50 210 260 10 2.17 9.13 11.30
27 50 255 305 — 1.85 9.44 11.30
28 50 270 320 15 1.79 9.64 11.42
3
Total Cost Curves Total Cost Curves
• The total variable cost curve has the $400
TC
same shape as the total cost curve— 350
VC
increasing output increases variable 300
cost. TC = (VC + FC)
Total cost
250
200 L
150
100 O
M
50 FC
0
2 4 6 8 10 20 30
Quantity of earrings
Average and Marginal Cost
Total Cost Curves Curves
$400
TC • The marginal cost curve goes through
350
VC the minimum point of the average total
300 cost curve and average variable cost
Total cost
250
TC = VC + FC
curve.
200 L • Each of these curves is U-shaped.
150
100 O
M
50 FC
0
2 4 6 8 10 20 30
Quantity of earrings
4
Average and Marginal Cost Downward-Sloping Shape of
Curves the Average Fixed Cost Curve
• The average fixed cost curve slopes • The average fixed cost curve looks like
down continuously. a child’s slide – it starts out with a
steep decline, then it becomes flatter
and flatter.
• It tells us that as output increases, the
same fixed cost can be spread out over
a wider range of output.
The U Shape of the Average The U Shape of the Average
and Marginal Cost Curves and Marginal Cost Curves
• When output is increased in the short- • The law of diminishing marginal
run, it can only be done by increasing productivity sets in as more and more
the variable input. of a variable input is added to a fixed
input.
• Marginal and average productivities
fall and marginal costs rise.
5
The U Shape of the Average The U Shape of the Average
and Marginal Cost Curves and Marginal Cost Curves
• And when average productivity of the • The average total cost curve is the
variable input falls, average variable vertical summation of the average fixed
cost rise. cost curve and the average variable
cost curve.
The U Shape of the Average
and Marginal Cost Curves Per Unit Output Cost Curves
• If the firm increased output $30
28
enormously, the average variable cost 26
24
curve and the average total cost curve 22
20
would almost meet. 18
16
14 MC
Cost
12 ATC
• The firm’s eye is focused on average 10
8
AVC
total cost—it wants to keep it low. 6
4
2 AFC
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 2426 28 30 32
Quantity of earrings
6
The Relationship Between
Per Unit Output Cost Curves Productivity and Costs
$30
28
• The shapes of the cost curves are
26
24
mirror-image reflections of the shapes
22
20
of the corresponding productivity
18
16
curves.
MC
Cost
14
12 ATC
10 AVC
8
6
4
2 AFC
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 2426 28 30 32
Quantity of earrings
The Relationship Between
Productivity and Costs 14 MC
Costs per unit
12 AVC
10
• When one is increasing, the other is The 8
6
decreasing. Relationship 4
2
• When one is at a maximum, the
Between 0 4 8 12 16 20 24 Output
other is at a minimum. Productivity 7
Output per worker
6
and Costs 5
A
4 AP of
3 workers
2
1 MP of workers
0 4 8 12 16 20 24 Output
7
Relationship Between Marginal
Relationship Between Marginal
and Average Costs and Average Costs
• The marginal cost and average cost • Marginal cost curves always intersect
curves are related. average cost curves at the minimum of
• When marginal cost exceeds average cost, the average cost curve.
average cost must be rising.
• When marginal cost is less than average
cost, average cost must be falling.
Relationship Between Marginal Relationship Between Marginal
and Average Costs and Average Costs
• The position of the marginal cost • To summarize:
relative to average total cost tells us
whether average total cost is rising or If MC > ATC, then ATC is rising.
falling. If MC = ATC, then ATC is at its low point.
If MC < ATC, then ATC is falling.
8
Relationship Between Marginal Relationship Between Marginal
and Average Costs and Average Costs
• Marginal and average total cost reflect • As long as average variable cost does
a general relationship that also holds not rise by more than average fixed
for marginal cost and average variable cost falls, average total cost will fall
cost. when marginal cost is above average
If MC > AVC, then AVC is rising. variable cost,
If MC = AVC, then AVC is at its low point.
If MC < AVC, then AVC is falling.
Relationship Between Marginal
and Average Costs
$90
ATC MC
80
70 Area A Area C
60 AVC Area B
Costs per unit
50 ATC
40 AVC
30 B
20
A
10 MC Q0 Q1
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Quantity
