Factors of Production in Economics

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Questions and Answers

Which factor of production represents all human resources?

  • Land
  • Enterprise
  • Labor (correct)
  • Capital

Who performs the two-fold function of combining factors of production and coordinating their activities?

  • Entrepreneur (correct)
  • Land
  • Capital
  • Labor

Which term is used to refer to all man-made resources in production?

  • Enterprise
  • Land
  • Capital (correct)
  • Labor

What is the term that sometimes separated from labor, land, and capital as a factor of production?

<p>Enterprise (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which factor involves anticipation of demand and some uncertainty in decision-making?

<p>Entrepreneur (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which type of costs can be directly traced to a specific activity, product, or process?

<p>Direct costs (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Opportunity costs represent the income from which of the following?

<p>Next best alternative foregone (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which type of costs are important because they affect overall profitability despite being untraceable to a specific activity?

<p>Indirect costs (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Incremental costs are incurred when a business makes which of the following decisions?

<p>Launching a new product (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which type of costs vary with changes in the activity or product?

<p>Direct costs (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What do opportunity costs calculate in terms of missed opportunities?

<p>Income from the next best alternative foregone (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which type of costs include manufacturing costs relating to production?

<p>Direct costs (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

If an entrepreneur decides to work for others instead of starting their own business, what type of cost is represented by the foregone salary?

<p>Opportunity cost (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What type of cost cannot be directly traced to a specific activity or component of the business?

<p>Indirect cost (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which type of cost is incurred when upgrading machinery to increase output?

<p>Incremental cost (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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Study Notes

Capital

  • Capital is wealth used for production rather than consumption.
  • Examples include tools, machinery, livestock, seeds, and fertilizers.
  • Recognized as a factor of production alongside land, labor, and enterprise.

Enterprise (Organization)

  • Organization coordinates land, labor, and capital for production.
  • The person managing this organization is called an entrepreneur.
  • Entrepreneurs supervise production processes and develop business policies.

Functions of the Entrepreneur

  • Decision-Making: Entrepreneurs determine production policies, including what, how, where, and how much to produce, as well as marketing strategies.
  • Management Control: Coordination of the factors of production (land, labor, capital) is a key role of the entrepreneur.
  • Risk Taking: Entrepreneurs assume risks related to production, anticipating market demands and uncertainties.

Factors of Production

  • Commonly classified into four groups: land, labor, capital, and enterprise.
  • Each factor receives rewards correlated with its contribution to production.

Costs in Production

  • Short Run: Defined as a period where at least one input is fixed (e.g., machinery and buildings).

    • Fixed Costs: Do not change with production levels (e.g., rent, salaries).
    • Variable Costs: Fluctuate with output levels (e.g., raw materials, hourly wages).
  • Long Run: All inputs can be varied, eliminating fixed costs; all costs are variable.

Average Cost

  • Average cost (AC) is calculated as total cost (TC) divided by the number of units produced.
  • Three types of average costs:
    • Average Variable Cost (AVC): Per unit cost of variable inputs.
    • Average Fixed Cost (AFC): Per unit cost of fixed inputs.
    • Average Total Cost (ATC): Overall cost per unit combining both fixed and variable costs.

Sunk Costs

  • Sunk costs are irreversible expenses already incurred (e.g., advertising, research, equipment purchase).

Costs Classification

  • Private Costs: Incurred by businesses for their operational goals (e.g., production costs, advertising).
  • Social Costs: Costs borne by society due to the business's activities (e.g., environmental pollution, depletion of natural resources).

Variability of Costs

  • Fixed Costs: Stable regardless of production volume; examples include rent and loan interest.
  • Variable Costs: Change with production levels; examples include raw materials and labor.
  • Marginal Cost: Extra cost incurred when producing one additional unit of output.

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