Question
Suppose a competitive market consists of identical firms with a constant longrun marginal cost of $10. (There are no fixed costs in the long run.)
Suppose a competitive market consists of identical firms with a constant longrun marginal cost of $10. (There are no fixed costs in the long run.) Suppose the demand curve at any price, P, is given by Q = 1000 - P.
a) What are the price and quantity consumed in the long-run competitive equilibrium?
b) Suppose one new firm enters that is different from the existing firms. The new firm has a constant marginal cost of $9 and no fixed costs but can only produce 10 units (or fewer). What are the price and the quantity consumed in the long-run competitive equilibrium? Are these the same as in (a)? Explain
c) Are positive economic profits inconsistent with a long-run competitive equilibrium?
d) Identify the marginal cost of the last unit sold in (b). Is it $10 or $9? That is, if demand fell by 1 unit, would the new entrant or the other firms reduce output?
e) How much profit do the less efficient firms in (b) earn?
f) In the long-run competitive equilibrium, must the profit of the marginal entrant (the next firm to enter the market if demand expands or, alternativiely, the next firm to leave the market if demand contacts ) be zero?
Step by Step Solution
3.55 Rating (159 Votes )
There are 3 Steps involved in it
Step: 1
a Price 10 Quantity 1000 10 990 In the longrun firms will be operating at their minimum efficient scale and so their marginal cost will be equal to th...Get Instant Access to Expert-Tailored Solutions
See step-by-step solutions with expert insights and AI powered tools for academic success
Step: 2
Step: 3
Ace Your Homework with AI
Get the answers you need in no time with our AI-driven, step-by-step assistance
Get Started