PROBLEM 1:
The R. J. Jones Company is a publisher of cowboy novels - novels about the great western experience, where men were men, horses were horses, and...well, you get the idea. The corporation has hired an economist to determine the demand for its product. After months of hard work and the submission of a REALLY large bill, the analyst tells the company that the demand for the firm's novels (Qx) is given by the following equation:
(Qx) = 12,000 - 5,000Px + 5I + 500Pc
where Px is the price charged for the novels, I is income per capita, and Pc is the price of books from competing publishers.
Using this information, the company managers want to:
A. Determine what effect a price increase would have on total revenues.
B. Evaluate how the sale of the novels would change during a period of rising incomes.
C. Assess the probable impact if competing publishers raise their prices.
Assume that the initial values of Px, I, and Pc are $5, $ 10,000, and $ 6, respectively.
PROBLEM 2:
Given the following data set, list the point elasticity and the total revenue at each price point. Where is the price elastic, and where is it inelastic? Where is revenue maximized? What is the rational price point? Fully explain.
Price Quantity
$ 10 1
9 2
8 3
7 4
6 5
5 6
4 7
3 8
2 9
1 10
PROBLEM 3:
The following is the production possibilities for a firm. At 0 labor units (strangely enough), there are 0 units produced. At 1 labor unit, there are 10,000 units produced, at 2 labor units, there are 25,000 units produced, at 3 there are 45,000, at 4 there are 60,000, at 5 there are 70,000, at 6 there are 75,000, at 7 there are 78,000, and at 8 there are 80,000. If the price of each unit produced is $ 3, and labor cost is 12,000 per unit, at what level should the firm produce?