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Marginal cost curve cuts average cost (variable or total cost) at its minimum simply to portray the law of variable proportions. The idea is as labor is increased with capital being fixed, productivity increases upto a point and then decreases and later becomes negative. To relate the same productivity with average cost function, the average cost first decreases , reaches a minimum and then increases. Now marginal cost is just a change in the total cost. Logic says that when MC is less than AC productivity is favourable, thus cost is falling. When MC is more than AC productivity is not favourable and thus the rising portion of the cost curve. When MC = AC , the productivity that was reducing the average cost per unit has maximized and from then on starts rising cost(or decreasing productivity). That is the only point where they can intersect.

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Q: Why does the marginal cost curve cut through the average variable cost curve exactly at the minimum of the average variable cost curve?
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Related questions

What is happening to average variable costs when they equal marginal costs?

When average variable costs equal to the average marginal cost, the average variable cost will be at the minimum point. i.e. lowest cost


When average cost is at its minimum then marginal cost will be?

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Draw a diagram with marginal product and average productExplain the relationship between marginal product and average product?

Marginal product is any input in the production process is the increase in the quantity of output obtained from on additional unit of the input. Average product is the output produced when one more unit of the variable factor is employed The relationship is state as: If labour's marginal product is exceed its average product that means labour's average product will be rising. Labour's average product will be falling. If labour's marginal product is less than its average product. If labour's marginal product is equal its average product and the average product will reach the minimum value at the point.


Does marginal cost always intersect average cost at minimum average cost?

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What happens to marginal cost after the point where it equals average variable cost?

Marginal Cost will keep increasing (have upward slope) because of the principle of diminishing marginal returns. The MC curve above the its intersection with AVC is the Supply Curve *because below minimum AVC, the firms stops production)


What is a firm's short run supply curve?

A perfectly competitive firm's supply curve is that portion of its marginal cost curve that lies above the minimum of the average variable cost curve.


In the short run if marginal product is at its maximum what happens to average cost?

it is at its minimum


When the firm attains minimum average variable cost how many units of labor is it using?

When a firm attains minimum average variable cost, the number of units of labor it is using depends on the average product.


Identify the characteristics of a perfectly competitive market and explain how the marginal revenue marginal cost average revenue average variable cost average total cost and price curves all interact?

Characteristics of Perfectly Competitive Market: Free entry / exit (no barriers to entry) Firms produce homogenous products There is perfect knowledge of the market Many Seller and Buyers Seller is a passive price taker Marginal Revenue Curve = Average Revenue = Price = Demand Curve for individual firm. The curve is constant Marginal Cost Curve intersects both Average Variable Cost and Average Total Cost curves at their minimum point Profit Maximisation output level is when MR = MC (find intersect point and draw line down to Q axis)


Why does the marginal cost curve correspond to the supply curve?

A perfectly competitive firm's supply curve is that portion of its' marginal cost curve that lies above the minimum of the average variable cost curve. A perfectly competitive firm maximizes profit by producing the quantity of output that equates price and marginal cost. As such, the firm moves along it's marginal cost curve in response to alternative prices. Because the marginal cost curve is positively sloped due to the law of diminishing marginal returns, the firm's supply curve is also positively sloped.


Why does the marginal cost curve cut the average total cost curve at its minimum?

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What are the relationship between marginal cost and average total cost schedule?

Marginal cost is the cost incurred in producing an additional unit of a product. It is the cost per unit of a product as against the total cost. It is therefore the variable cost of producing one more unit of a product.Average total cost is the total cost of production at an activity level. it is the total cost of divided by the total production.Whiles marginal cost shows the cost incurred in producing an additional unit of a product, average cost shows the total cost of production per unit.Just a small addition to this thought:Think of the marginal cost as being at a point in time, whereas the average total cost is calculated over a period of time. As a result, marginal cost at any given point may be higher or lower than an average total cost.Quick example:ABC manufactures a product they call Widget AWidget A sells for a price of $20ABC sells 1,000 units of Widget AFixed costs for this production run are $5,000, regardless of # of units soldVariable costs are $12 per unitGross Revenues $20,000Fixed Cost Expense $ 5,000Variable Cost Expense $12,000Gross Profit $ 3,000Breakeven # of units can be calculated as follows:20x = 5000 + 12x. Solving for x gives 625 units to break even. At this point the Average Transaction Cost equals the selling price of $20 per unit. As each additional unit is produced the ATC will decrease since the only additional cost is the variable cost of $12 per unit. Therefore, in this very simple example, the MARGINAL COST of producing each unit OVER 625 would be the $12 variable cost expense. In the example above, at 1,000 units the Average Transaction Cost is $17 ($5 per unit for Fixed and $12 per unit for Variable), which is a decrease from the $20 ATC at break even.