Final answer:
The marginal product of the third unit of fertilizer is -1.1
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the marginal product of the third unit of fertilizer, we need to calculate the total output for 2 and 3 units of fertilizer. Given the yield response curve q= -0.1x2 + x + 80, we can substitute x=2 and x=3 into the equation to find the corresponding values of q.
For x=2, q= -0.1(2)^2 + 2 + 80 = 83.8
For x=3, q= -0.1(3)^2 + 3 + 80 = 82.7
The marginal product of the third unit of fertilizer is the difference in total output between 2 and 3 units, which is 82.7 - 83.8 = -1.1