Consider the following break-even problem: the cost of producing Q units, c(Q), is described by the curve c(Q)  48Q[1  exp(.08Q)], where Q is in hundreds of units of items produced and c(Q) is in thousands of dollars.

a. Graph the function c(Q). What is its shape? What economic phenomenon gives rise to a cumulative cost curve of this shape?

b. At what production level does the cumulative production cost equal

$1,000,000?

c. Suppose that these units can be purchased from an outside supplier at a cost of $800 each, but the firm must invest $850,000 to build a facility that would be able to produce these units at a cost c(Q). At what cumulative volume of production does it make sense to invest in the facility?