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Behavior of a perfectly competitive firm

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A manufacturer of electronics products is considering entering the telephone equipment business.
It estimates that if it were to begin making wireless telephones , its short-run cost functions would be as follows:

Quantity (Thousands) Average Variable Cost (AVC) Average Total Cost (ATC) Marginal Cost (MC)
9 $41.10 $52.21 $30.70
10 $40.00 $50.00 $30.10
11 $39.10 $48.19 $30.10
12 $38.40 $46.73 $30.70
13 $37.90 $45.59 $31.90
14 $37.60 $44.74 $33.70
15 $37.50 $44.17 $36.10
16 $37.60 $43.85 $39.10
17 $37.90 $43.78 $42.70
18 $38.40 $43.96 $46.90
19 $39.10 $44.36 $51.70
20 $40.00 $45.00 $57.10

a. Suppose the average wholesale price of a wireless phone is currently $50. Do you think this company
should enter the market? Explain.

b. Suppose the firm doesn't enter the market and that over time increasing competition causes the price to fall to $35.
What impact will this have on the firm's production levels and profits? Explain. What would you advise this firm to do?

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Solution Summary

Solution studies whether a company with the given cost structure should enter the competitive market at prevailing market price.

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a. Suppose the average wholesale price of a wireless phone is currently $50. Do you think this company
should enter the market? Explain.

Let us see the marginal cost column. We find that MC is less than average price i.e. $50 for output level of 18 thousand units.
Optimal level of output should be 18 thousand units. Any increase in output from this level will pull down the ...

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  • BEng (Hons) , Birla Institute of Technology and Science, India
  • MSc (Hons) , Birla Institute of Technology and Science, India
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