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Marginal cost is the change of the total cost from an additional output [(n+1)th unit]. Therefore, (refer to "Average cost" labelled picture on the right side of the screen. Average cost. In this case, when the marginal cost of the (n+1)th unit is less than the average cost(n), the average cost (n+1) will get a smaller value than average cost(n).
Thus marginal cost initially falls, reaches a minimum value and then increases. [4]: 209 The marginal cost curve intersects both the average variable cost curve and (short-run) average total cost curve at their minimum points. When the marginal cost curve is above an average cost curve the average curve is rising.
Variable costs are the sum of marginal costs over all units produced. They can also be considered normal costs. Fixed costs and variable costs make up the two components of total cost. Direct costs are costs that can easily be associated with a particular cost object. [2] However, not all variable costs are direct costs.
Marginal costs are often also shown on these graphs, with marginal cost representing the cost of the last unit produced at each point; marginal costs in the short run are the slope of the variable cost curve (and hence the first derivative of variable cost).
The additional total cost of one additional unit of production is called marginal cost. The marginal cost can also be calculated by finding the derivative of total cost or variable cost. Either of these derivatives work because the total cost includes variable cost and fixed cost, but fixed cost is a constant with a derivative of 0.
Contribution margin (CM), or dollar contribution per unit, is the selling price per unit minus the variable cost per unit. "Contribution" represents the portion of sales revenue that is not consumed by variable costs and so contributes to the coverage of fixed costs. This concept is one of the key building blocks of break-even analysis. [1]
If producing 5 shirts generates an average total cost of 11 dollars and average variable cost of 5 dollars, the fixed cost would be 6 dollars. Similarly, the firm produces 10 shirts and average total cost and average variable cost is 10 dollars and 7 dollars respectively. In this case, the average fixed cost would be 3 dollars.
Then its variable cost function is Q 3 –5Q 2 +60Q, and its average variable cost function is (Q 3 –5Q 2 +60Q)/Q= Q 2 –5Q + 60. The slope of the average variable cost curve is the derivative of the latter, namely 2Q – 5. Equating this to zero to find the minimum gives Q = 2.5, at which level of output average variable cost is 53.75.