Chapter 13/The Costs of Production ❖ 31
42. When adding another unit of labor leads to an increase in output that is smaller than the increases in output
that resulted from adding previous units of labor, the firm is experiencing
diminishing marginal product.
negative marginal product.
43. On a 100-acre farm, a farmer is able to produce 3,000 bushels of wheat when he hires 2 workers. He is able to
produce 4,400 bushels of wheat when he hires 3 workers. Which of the following possibilities is consistent
with the property of diminishing marginal product?
The farmer is able to produce 5,600 bushels of wheat when he hires 4 workers.
The farmer is able to produce 5,800 bushels of wheat when he hires 4 workers.
The farmer is able to produce 6,000 bushels of wheat when he hires 4 workers.
Any of the above could be correct.
44. On a 100-acre farm, a farmer is able to produce 3,000 bushels of wheat when he hires 2 workers. He is able to
produce 4,400 bushels of wheat when he hires 3 workers. Which of the following possibilities is consistent
with the property of diminishing marginal product?
The farmer is able to produce 5,600 bushels of wheat when he hires 4 workers.
The farmer is able to produce 5,400 bushels of wheat when he hires 4 workers.
The farmer is able to produce 5,200 bushels of wheat when he hires 4 workers.
Any of the above could be correct.
45. When the marginal product of an input declines as the quantity of that input increases, the production function
exhibits
increasing marginal product.
diminishing marginal product.
diminishing total product.
Both b and c are correct.
46. As Bubba’s Bubble Gum Company adds workers while using the same amount of machinery, some workers
may be underutilized because they have little work to do while waiting in line to use the machinery. When this
occurs, Bubba’s Bubble Gum Company encounters
increasing marginal product.
diminishing marginal product.