Firms’ Costs, Revenue & Objectives (CIE IGCSE Economics)

Topic Questions

11 mark

When is profit maximisation achieved?

  • when average fixed cost is at a minimum

  • when average revenue is at a maximum

  • when the firm produces the largest output it can with the resources it has available

  • when there is the greatest possible difference between total revenue and total cost

Did this page help you?

21 mark

When will a firm maximise its profits?

  • when it excludes a rival supplier from the market

  • when it produces where average cost and average revenue are equal

  • when it sells as many products in as many different markets as it can

  • when the difference between total cost and total revenue is greatest

Did this page help you?

31 mark

An entrepreneur buys a workshop for $200 000 to make plastic boxes. In the first year of operation he spends $70 000 on materials, employs ten production workers paid by the amount produced (piece rate) at a total cost of $80 000 and buys two delivery vehicles for $10 000 each.

What are his total variable costs?

  • $100 000

  • $150 000

  • $220 000

  • $370 000

Did this page help you?

41 mark

What must result from an increase in output?

  • a decrease in the average cost

  • a decrease in the total costs

  • an increase in the fixed costs

  • an increase in the variable costs

Did this page help you?

51 mark

The diagrams show the average total cost (ATC) curves of four firms and how they change as output increases.

Which firm has the highest fixed costs?

  • qp-414644-2020-specimen-paper-1-q13a

  • qp-414644-2020-specimen-paper-1-q13b

  • qp-414644-2020-specimen-paper-1-q13c

  • qp-414644-2020-specimen-paper-1-q13d

Did this page help you?

61 mark

Which statement about total fixed cost is correct?

  • It falls as output increases.

  • It is calculated by adding total cost and total variable cost.

  • It is calculated by dividing total cost by output.

  • It must be paid even if output is zero.

Did this page help you?

71 mark

Which statement about fixed costs is correct?

  • They exist only in the long run.

  • They include raw material and direct labour costs.

  • They increase at the same rate as output.

  • They must be paid even if there is no output.

Did this page help you?

11 mark

The table shows the output and total costs of a small firm.

output
(units)
total costs
($)

0

1000

5000

10000

50000

100000

400000

600000


What is the average fixed cost of producing 10 000 units?

  • $5

  • $6

  • $55

  • $60

Did this page help you?

21 mark

The table shows the costs of a firm.

variable cost per good fixed cost
$2 $40

What is the average total cost if the firm produces 20 goods?

  • $1

  • $2

  • $4

  • $80

Did this page help you?

31 mark

A firm producing bicycles has the following costs at different levels of output.

output total fixed costs ($) total variable costs ($)
10
20
30
300
300
300
800
1500
3300


What happens to the average total cost over this range of output?

  • It falls continuously.

  • It falls then rises.

  • It rises continuously.

  • It rises then falls.

Did this page help you?

41 mark

A firm’s average revenue is $10. It sells 2000 units.

What is the firm’s total revenue and the price of the product?

  total revenue
($)
price
($)

A

B

C

D

10

2000

20000

20000

10

200

10

200

Did this page help you?

51 mark

The table shows the total cost of firm X at each level of output.

output total cost

0

1

2

3

3

5

6

9

At which level of output does total variable cost exceed total fixed cost?

  • 0

  • 1

  • 2

  • 3

Did this page help you?

61 mark

The table shows a firm’s average revenue and average cost at different levels of output.

When all output is sold, which level of output gives maximum profit?

  output
(units)
average
revenue (US$)
average
cost (US$)

A

B

C

D

5

10

15

20

10

20

25

30

30

20

15

18

Did this page help you?

11 mark

The table shows a firm’s total revenue and total cost at different levels of output.

Which level of output gives maximum profit?

  output
(units)
total revenue
($)
total cost
($)

A

B

C

D

10

20

30

40

15

20

25

30

15

18

20

21

Did this page help you?

21 mark

A firm has fixed costs of $1000. The table shows the variable cost at different levels of output.

output (units) 1 2 3 4
variable cost ($) 100 190 270 350


If the goods are sold for $500 each, how much profit will be made from the sale of 4 units?

  • $650

  • $1000

  • $1650

  • $2000

Did this page help you?

31 mark

The table shows the costs of a firm.

units of
output
variable costs
($)
total costs
($)

10

20

30

40

20

50

80

110

80

110

140

170

What is the value of the firm’s fixed costs?

  • $20

  • $30

  • $60

  • $80

Did this page help you?

41 mark

The diagram shows the fixed costs, variable costs and total costs of a firm.

qp-june-2019v2-paper-1-cie-economics-igcse-q14

 

Which distance represents the firm’s fixed costs?

  • WX

  • WY

  • XY

  • XZ

Did this page help you?

51 mark

In the short run, a firm calculates its total fixed cost, total variable cost and total cost. It then plots a graph showing how they change as output increases.

What happens to the lines showing the total variable cost and total cost as output increases?

  • They merge to become one curve.

  • They move closer together.

  • They move further apart.

  • They remain a constant distance apart.

Did this page help you?

61 mark

Why is the energy supply industry dominated by very large firms in many economies?

  • Government controls prevent the exploitation of consumers.

  • High fixed capital costs exist.

  • Labour-intensive production techniques are used.

  • Non-price advertising increases competition.

Did this page help you?

71 mark

A firm that sells its product for $6 a unit has the following total costs.

output (units) 0 10 20 30
total costs ($) 40 100 120 150


Which statement is correct?

  • Average cost is lowest when 10 units are produced.

  • The firm does not make any profit when 20 units are sold.

  • The firm has no fixed costs.

  • Total variable costs fall continuously over these outputs.

Did this page help you?