Consider the competitive market for steel. Assume that, regardless of how many firms are in the industry, every firm in the industry is identical and faces the marginal cost (MC), average total cost (ATC), and average variable cost (AVC) curves shown on the following graph.   The following diagram shows the market demand for steel. Use the orange points (square symbol) to plot the initial short-run industry supply curve when there are 10 firms in the market. (Hint: You can disregard the portion of the supply curve that corresponds to prices where there is no output since this is the industry supply curve.) Next, use the purple points (diamond symbol) to plot the short-run industry supply curve when there are 15 firms. Finally, use the green points (triangle symbol) to plot the short-run industry supply curve when there are 20 firms.

Economics:
10th Edition
ISBN:9781285859460
Author:BOYES, William
Publisher:BOYES, William
Chapter22: Supply: The Costs Of Doing Business
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 5E
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Consider the competitive market for steel. Assume that, regardless of how many firms are in the industry, every firm in the industry is identical and faces the marginal cost (MC), average total cost (ATC), and average variable cost (AVC) curves shown on the following graph.
 
The following diagram shows the market demand for steel.
Use the orange points (square symbol) to plot the initial short-run industry supply curve when there are 10 firms in the market. (Hint: You can disregard the portion of the supply curve that corresponds to prices where there is no output since this is the industry supply curve.) Next, use the purple points (diamond symbol) to plot the short-run industry supply curve when there are 15 firms. Finally, use the green points (triangle symbol) to plot the short-run industry supply curve when there are 20 firms.
 
 
100
90
Supply (10 firms)
Supply (15 firms)
Supply (20 firms)
Demand
20
10
0
0 125 250 375 500 625 750 875 1000 1125 1250
QUANTITY (Thousands of tons)
If there were 10 firms in this market, the short-run equilibrium price of steel would be $
per ton. At that price, firms in this industry would
the steel market.
Therefore, in the long run, firms would
Because you know that competitive firms earn
economic profit in the long run, you know the long-run equilibrium price must be
firms operating in the steel industry in long-run equilibrium.
$
per ton. From the graph, you can see that this means there will be
True or False: Assuming implicit costs are positive, each of the firms operating in this industry in the long run earns positive accounting profit.
O True
8
70
60
50
PRICE (Dollars per ton)
8
40
0
False
4
Transcribed Image Text:100 90 Supply (10 firms) Supply (15 firms) Supply (20 firms) Demand 20 10 0 0 125 250 375 500 625 750 875 1000 1125 1250 QUANTITY (Thousands of tons) If there were 10 firms in this market, the short-run equilibrium price of steel would be $ per ton. At that price, firms in this industry would the steel market. Therefore, in the long run, firms would Because you know that competitive firms earn economic profit in the long run, you know the long-run equilibrium price must be firms operating in the steel industry in long-run equilibrium. $ per ton. From the graph, you can see that this means there will be True or False: Assuming implicit costs are positive, each of the firms operating in this industry in the long run earns positive accounting profit. O True 8 70 60 50 PRICE (Dollars per ton) 8 40 0 False 4
100
90
80
70
COSTS (Dollars per ton)
8 8 8
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
ATC
MC
D
n
AVC
+
0
10 20 30 40 50
QUANTITY (Thousands of tons)
The following diagram shows the market demand for steel.
Use the orange points (square symbol) to plot the initial short-run industry supply curve when there are 10 firms in the market. (Hint: You can
disregard the portion of the supply curve that corresponds to prices where there is no output since this is the industry supply curve.) Next, use the
purple points (diamond symbol) to plot the short-run industry supply curve when there are 15 firms. Finally, use the green points (triangle symbol) to
plot the short-run industry supply curve when there are 20 firms.
60 70 80
90 100
Transcribed Image Text:100 90 80 70 COSTS (Dollars per ton) 8 8 8 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 ATC MC D n AVC + 0 10 20 30 40 50 QUANTITY (Thousands of tons) The following diagram shows the market demand for steel. Use the orange points (square symbol) to plot the initial short-run industry supply curve when there are 10 firms in the market. (Hint: You can disregard the portion of the supply curve that corresponds to prices where there is no output since this is the industry supply curve.) Next, use the purple points (diamond symbol) to plot the short-run industry supply curve when there are 15 firms. Finally, use the green points (triangle symbol) to plot the short-run industry supply curve when there are 20 firms. 60 70 80 90 100
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