Final answer:
To find the marginal cost of producing the 10th item, we need to calculate the change in total cost divided by the change in quantity. The cost function is C(q) = 900 + 5q² dollars. The marginal cost is $280.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the marginal cost of producing the 10th item, we need to calculate the change in total cost divided by the change in quantity. The cost function given is C(q) = 900 + 5q² dollars. Since we want to find the marginal cost for the 10th item, we need to find C(10) - C(9).
Substituting q = 10 into the cost function, we get C(10) = 900 + 5(10)² = 1450 dollars.
Substituting q = 9 into the cost function, we get C(9) = 900 + 5(9)² = 1170 dollars.
Therefore, the marginal cost of producing the 10th item is C(10) - C(9) = 1450 - 1170 = 280 dollars.