Question

(Table: Cherry Farm) Use Table: Cherry Farm. If Hank and Helen have one of 100 farms in the perfectly competitive cherry industry and if the price is $5, in the short run the industry will supply _____ pounds.

Answer 1

Answer:

500

Explanation:

please find attached the table referred to in this question and a second table where marginal cost is included

A perfect competition is characterised by many buyers and sellers of homogeneous goods and services. Market prices are set by the forces of demand and supply.

in a perfect competition, price = marginal cost = marginal revenue

Marginal cost = total cost 2 - total cost 1

e.g. marginal cost at 2 units of output = $7 - $2 = $5

Hank and Helen would supply at the point  where marginal cost is equal to $5.

looking at the second attached table, there are two points where marginal cost is equal to $5. at output 1 and output 5.

at output one, Hank and Helen would be earning a loss because total cost is greater than total revenue. so they would not supply at this point.

at output five, Hank and Helen would earn a profit and thus would supply at 5 units of output.

Since all firms face and identical cost structure, the industry supply would be 100 x 5 = 500 pounds