Short-Run Cost and Supply Decisions 1. A firm purchased copper pipes a few years ago at $10 per pipe and stored them, using them only as the need arises. The firm could sell its remaining pipes in the market at the current price of $9. What is the opportunity cost of each remaining pipe and what is the sunk cost? 2. Assume that the fixed costs for a soybean farm, which include the costs of land, equipment and fertilizer is $10,000 per year and that labor is the only variable cost of running the farm. And assume that the firm pays each worker $2,000 a month. The productivity of labor is shown in the following table. Amount of Labor Total Output (Person months) (bushels) 1 5 2 14 3 27 4 36 5 44 6 48 7 51 8 52 9 54 10 54 Bases on the information above, complete the following table and graph AVC, ATC and MC (A graph produced by excel is preferable.) Q TFC TVC AFC AVC ATC MC (bushels) ($) ($) ($) ($) ($) ($) 5 27 44 51 54 3. As a member of a local advocacy group for low-income families, you have been placed in charge of organizing a one-day seminar on welfare reform. The costs for the event are as follows: Rent for auditorium: $5,000 Faculty: $2,500 Breakfast: $10 per person Luncheon: $15 per person Materials: $25 per person Advertising: $1,500 a) What are the average variable costs of the seminar? b) What are the fixed costs of the seminar? c) Based on past events, you expect that 100 people will attend the seminar. What price should you charge each attendee so that the seminar breaks even? (Hint: to break even, price must equal the average total cost. It is different from the shut-down decision where price need to be at least as high as average variable cost.) d) To encourage more young people to get involved, your supervisor suggests charging students a discounted rate. You decide to have students pay only the marginal costs of their attendance. What price should you charge students to attend the seminar?