. A firm faces the following average revenue (demand) curve: P = 100 - 0.01Q where Q is weekly production and P is price, measured in cents per unit. The firm’s cost function is given by C = 50Q + 30,000. Assuming the firm maximizes profits, a. What is the level of production, price, and total profit per week? The profit-maximizing output is found by setting marginal revenue equal to marginal cost. Given a linear demand curve in inverse form, P = 100 - 0.01Q, we know that the marginal revenue curve will have twice the slope of the demand curve. Thus, the marginal revenue curve for the firm is MR = 100 - 0.02Q. Marginal cost is simply the slope of the total cost curve. The slope of TC = 30,000 + 50Q is 50. So MC equals 50. Setting MR = MC to determine the profit-maximizing quantity: 100 - 0.02Q = 50, or Q = 2,500. Substituting the profit-maximizing quantity into the inverse demand function to determine the price: P = 100 - (0.01)(2,500) = 75 cents. Profit equals total revenue minus total cost: π = (75)(2,500) - (30,000 + (50)(2,500)), or π = $325 per week. b. If the government decides to levy a tax of 10 cents per unit on this product, what will be the new level of production, price, and profit? Chapter 10: Market Power: Monopoly and Monopsony 121Suppose initially that the consumers must pay the tax to the government. Since the total price (including the tax) consumers would be willing to pay remains unchanged, we know that the demand function is P* + T = 100 - 0.01Q, or P* = 100 - 0.01Q - T, where P* is the price received by the suppliers. Because the tax increases the price of each unit, total revenue for the monopolist decreases by TQ, and marginal revenue, the revenue on each additional unit, decreases by T: MR = 100 - 0.02Q - T where T = 10 cents. To determine the profit-maximizing level of output with the tax, equate marginal revenue with marginal cost: 100 - 0.02Q - 10 = 50, or Q = 2,000 units. Substituting Q into the demand function to determine price: P* = 100 - (0.01)(2,000) - 10 = 70 cents. Profit is total revenue minus total cost: p = 70 ( )2,000 ( )− 50 ( ) 2,000 ( )+30,000( )=10,000 cents, or $100 per week. Note: The price facing the consumer after the imposition of the tax is 80 cents. The monopolist receives 70 cents. Therefore, the consumer and the monopolist each pay 5 cents of the tax. If the monopolist had to pay the tax instead of the consumer, we would arrive at the same result. The monopolist’s cost function would then be TC = 50Q + 30,000 + TQ = (50 + T)Q + 30,000. The slope of the cost function is (50 + T), so MC = 50 + T. We set this MC to the marginal revenue function from part (a): 100 - 0.02Q = 50 + 10, or Q = 2,000. Thus, it does not matter who sends the tax payment to the government. The burden of the tax is reflected in the price of the good
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