📚 Learning Guide
Marginal Costs and Total Revenue
medium

In the context of profit maximization, how do marginal costs relate to total revenue when deciding the optimal level of production?

Master this concept with our detailed explanation and step-by-step learning approach

Learning Path
Learning Path

Question & Answer
1
Understand Question
2
Review Options
3
Learn Explanation
4
Explore Topic

Choose the Best Answer

A

Marginal costs should equal total revenue to maximize profit.

B

Marginal costs should be less than total revenue to maximize profit.

C

Marginal costs have no impact on total revenue.

D

Marginal costs should be greater than total revenue to maximize profit.

Understanding the Answer

Let's break down why this is correct

Answer

When a business wants to make the most profit, it needs to think about how much it costs to produce one more item, which is called marginal cost. This cost should be compared to the revenue gained from selling that extra item, known as total revenue. The goal is to keep producing more items until the cost of making one more item is equal to the money earned from selling it. For example, if it costs $5 to make one more toy, and the toy sells for $10, the company should produce that toy because it makes a profit of $5. However, if the cost rises to $12, the company would stop making more toys since it would lose money.

Detailed Explanation

To make the most profit, the cost of making one more item (marginal cost) should be less than what you earn from selling it (total revenue). Other options are incorrect because Some might think that if costs equal revenue, you break even; This idea suggests costs don't matter, but they do.

Key Concepts

profit maximization
production costs
Topic

Marginal Costs and Total Revenue

Difficulty

medium level question

Cognitive Level

understand

Ready to Master More Topics?

Join thousands of students using Seekh's interactive learning platform to excel in their studies with personalized practice and detailed explanations.