Question

Syzygy Company is a perfectly competitive firm. The market price of its output is $5. At its current level of output, the firm's average total cost is $5 per unit, its average variable cost is $4 per unit, and its marginal cost is $5 per unit. Based on this information, what can we say?a) Syzygy Company is earning zero economic profit, which is good enough to stay in business.b) Syzygy Company is not maximizing profit; it can increase profit by increasing output.c) Syzygy Company is not maximizing profit; it can increase profit by decreasing output.d) Syzygy Company is suffering a loss, but it should stay in business in the short run.e) Syzygy Company should go out of business in the short run.

Answer 1

a) Syzygy Company is earning zero economic profit, which is good enough to stay in business.

Step-by-step explanation:

market price = marginal revenue = $5 per unit

marginal cost per unit = $5

A perfectly competitive firm will maximize its accounting profits when MR = MC, in this case $5 (MR) = $5 (MC). This also means that the company at this sales and cost level is earning $0 economic profit. In the long run, firms in a a competitive market will always earn $0 economic profit.