Question

Apples can be harvested by hand or machine. Handpicking yields 80 pounds per hour; mechanical pickers yield 120 pounds per hour. If the wage rate of human pickers is $8 an hour and the rental on a mechanical picker is $15 an hour, which is more cost-effective

Answer 1

Handpicking is more cost effective (at $12 per hour for 120 pounds).

Step-by-step explanation:

Information given;

Handpicking yields 80 pounds per hour while

Mechanical pickers yield 120 pounds per hour

Wage rate of human pickers = $8 per hour

Mechanical picker rate = $15 per hour

For the human picker to pick 120 pounds,

Time required = 120/80

= 1.5 hours

If the human pickers are paid at $8 per hour

then wage to be paid in 1.5 hours = 1.5 × 8

= $12

From the above analysis, cost incurred on machine pickers for 120 pounds per hour is $15 while the cost incurred on human pickers is $12. Hence the human pickers are more cost effective.