9.1 TransFast Trucking Company uses two sizes of trailers for transportation contracts. Smaller trailers can carry 2 tons and larger trailers can carry 4 tons.

Output per hour

(kg carted)

Small trailer Large trailer a.

2000 Capital input 1

4000 2

Labour input 1

1 TransFast Trucking Company is awarded a con tract to cart 8000 kilograms of cargo. Construct an isoquant for the irst production function. How much k and l would be used if these factors were combined without waste?

b.

c.

d.

Answer part

(a) for the second function.

How much k and l would be used without waste if half of the 8000 kilograms were transported by the method of the irst production function and half by the method of the second? How much k and l would be used if a quarter of the cargo was transported by the irst method and three-quarters by the second? What does it mean to speak of fractions of k and l ?

Based on your observations in part (c), draw a q = 8000 isoquant for the combined production functions.