Firms in Competitive Markets

Firms in Competitive
Markets
Chapter 14
Copyright © 2001 by Harcourt, Inc.
All rights reserved. Requests for permission to make copies of any part of
the
work should be mailed to:
Permissions Department, Harcourt College Publishers,
The Meaning of Competition
 A perfectly competitive market has

the following characteristics:
 There are many buyers and sellers in the
market.
 The goods offered by the various sellers
are largely the same.
 Firms can freely enter or exit the
market.
Harcourt, Inc. items and derived items copyright © 2001 by Harcourt, Inc.
 As a result of its characteristics, the

perfectly competitive market has the
following outcomes:
 The actions of any single buyer or seller
in the market have a negligible impact on
the market price.
 Each buyer and seller takes the market
price as given.
Buyers and sellers in competitive

markets are said to be price takers.
Buyers and sellers must accept the

price determined by the market.
Revenue of a Competitive Firm
Total revenue for a firm is the selling

price times the quantity sold.
TR = (P X Q)
Total revenue is proportional to the

amount of output.
Average revenue tells us how much

revenue a firm receives for the
typical unit sold.
In perfect competition, average

revenue equals the price of the
good.
Total revenue
Averagerevenue=
Quantity
(PriceQuantity)
=
Quantity
=Price
Marginal revenue is the change in

total revenue from an additional unit
sold.
MR =TR/ Q
For competitive firms, marginal

revenue equals the price of the
good.
Total, Average, and Marginal
Revenue for a Competitive Firm
Quantity Price Total Revenue Average Revenue Marginal Revenue

(Q) (P) (TR=PxQ) (AR=TR/Q) (MR=T R / Q )
1 $6.00 $6.00 $6.00
2 $6.00 $12.00 $6.00 $6.00
3 $6.00 $18.00 $6.00 $6.00
4 $6.00 $24.00 $6.00 $6.00
5 $6.00 $30.00 $6.00 $6.00
6 $6.00 $36.00 $6.00 $6.00
7 $6.00 $42.00 $6.00 $6.00
8 $6.00 $48.00 $6.00 $6.00
Profit Maximization for the
Competitive Firm
The goal of a competitive firm is to
maximize profit.
This means that the firm will want
to produce the quantity that
maximizes the difference between
total revenue and total cost.
Profit Maximization:
A Numerical Example
Price Quantity Total Revenue Total Cost Profit Marginal Revenue Marginal Cost
(P) (Q) (TR=PxQ) (TC) (TR-TC) (MR=T R / Q ) MC=  T C /  Q
0 $0.00 $3.00 -$3.00
$6.00 1 $6.00 $5.00 $1.00 $6.00 $2.00
$6.00 2 $12.00 $8.00 $4.00 $6.00 $3.00
$6.00 3 $18.00 $12.00 $6.00 $6.00 $4.00
$6.00 4 $24.00 $17.00 $7.00 $6.00 $5.00
$6.00 5 $30.00 $23.00 $7.00 $6.00 $6.00
$6.00 6 $36.00 $30.00 $6.00 $6.00 $7.00
$6.00 7 $42.00 $38.00 $4.00 $6.00 $8.00
$6.00 8 $48.00 $47.00 $1.00 $6.00 $9.00

Competitive Firm...
Costs The firm maximizes
and profit by producing
Revenue the quantity at
which marginal cost MC
equals marginal
revenue.
MC2
ATC
P=MR1 P = AR = MR
AVC
MC1
0 Q1 QMAX Q2 Quantity
Competitive Firm
Profit maximization occurs at the

quantity where marginal revenue
equals marginal cost.
Competitive Firm
When MR > MC  increase Q
When MR < MC  decrease Q
When MR = MC  Profit is
maximized.
Copyright © 2001 by Harcourt, Inc. All rights reserved
The Marginal-Cost Curve and the

Firm’s Supply Decision...
Costs This section of the
and firm’s MC curve is
Revenue also the firm’s
supply curve. MC
P2
P1 ATC
AVC
0 Q1 Q2 Quantity
The Firm’s Short-Run Decision
to Shut Down
 A shutdown refers to a short-run
decision not to produce anything
during a specific period of time
because of current market
conditions.
 Exit refers to a long-run decision to
leave the market.
to Shut Down
The firm considers its sunk costs

when deciding to exit, but ignores
them when deciding whether to shut
down.
Sunk costs are costs that have
already been committed and cannot
be recovered.
to Shut Down
 The firm shuts down if the revenue it gets
from producing is less than the variable
cost of production.
Shut down if TR < VC
Shut down if TR/Q < VC/Q
Shut down if P < AVC
The Firm’s Short-Run Decision to
Shut Down...
Firm’s short-run
Costs supply curve.
MC
If P > ATC,
keep producing
at a profit.
ATC
If P > AVC,
keep producing AVC
in the short run.
If P < AVC,
shut down.
0 Quantity
to Shut Down
The portion of the marginal-cost

curve that lies above average
variable cost is the competitive
firm’s short-run supply curve.
The Firm’s Long-Run Decision
to Exit or Enter a Market
 In the long-run, the firm exits if the
revenue it would get from producing is
less than its total cost.
Exit if TR < TC
Exit if TR/Q < TC/Q
Exit if P < ATC
The Firm’s Long-Run Decision
to Exit or Enter a Market
 A firm will enter the industry if such an
action would be profitable.
Enter if TR > TC
Enter if TR/Q > TC/Q
Enter if P > ATC
The Competitive Firm’s Long-
Run Supply Curve...
Costs
MC = Long-run S
Firm enters
if P > ATC
ATC
AVC
Firm exits
if P < ATC
0 Quantity
Run Supply Curve
The competitive firm’s long-run

supply curve is the portion of its
marginal-cost curve that lies
above average total cost.
Run Supply Curve...
Costs
Firm’s long-run MC
supply curve
ATC
AVC
0 Quantity
The Firm’s Short-Run and
Long-Run Supply Curves
 Short-Run Supply Curve
 The portion of its marginal cost curve
that lies above average variable cost.
 Long-Run Supply Curve
 The marginal cost curve above the
minimum point of its average total cost
curve.
Measuring Profit in the Graph for
the Competitive Firm...
Price a. A Firm with Profits
MC ATC
Profit
P P = AR = MR
ATC
0 Q Quantity
Profit-maximizing quantity
Price b. A Firm with Losses
MC ATC
ATC
P P = AR = MR
Loss
0 Q Quantity
Loss-minimizing quantity
Supply in a Competitive Market
Market supply equals the sum

of the quantities supplied by the
individual firms in the market.
The Short Run: Market Supply
with a Fixed Number of Firms
 For any given price, each firm

supplies a quantity of output so that
its marginal cost equals price.
 The market supply curve reflects the
individual firms’ marginal cost
curves.
with a Fixed Number of Firms...
(a) Individual Firm Supply (b) Market Supply
Price Price
MC Supply
$2.00 $2.00
1.00 1.00
0 100 200 Quantity 0 100,000 200,000 Quantity

(firm) (market)
The Long Run: Market Supply
with Entry and Exit
 Firms will enter or exit the market
until profit is driven to zero.
 In the long run, price equals the
minimum of average total cost.
 The long-run market supply curve is
horizontal at this price.
with Entry and Exit...
(a) Firm’s Zero-Profit Condition (b) Market Supply
Price Price
MC
ATC
P=
minimum Supply
ATC
0 Quantity 0 Quantity
(firm) (market)
with Entry and Exit
 At the end of the process of entry and exit,
firms that remain must be making zero
economic profit.
 The process of entry & exit ends only
when price and average total cost are
driven to equality.
 Long-run equilibrium must have firms
operating at their efficient scale.
Firms Stay in Business with
Zero Profit
 Profit equals total revenue minus total
cost.
 Total cost includes all the opportunity
costs of the firm.
 In the zero-profit equilibrium, the firm’s
revenue compensates the owners for the
time and money they expend to keep the
business going.
Increase in Demand in the
Short Run
 An increase in demand raises
price and quantity in the short
run.
 Firms earn profits because price
now exceeds average total cost.
Increase in Demand in the Short
Run...
(a) Initial Condition
Firm Market
Price Price
ATC
MC S1
A
P1 P P1 Long-run
supply
D1
0 Quantity 0 Q1 Quantity
(firm) (market)
Run...
(b) Short-Run Response
Firm Market
Price Price
Profit MC ATC S1
B
P2 P2
A
P1 P1 Long-run
supply
D2
D1
0 Quantity 0 Q 1 Q2 Quantity
(firm) (market)
Run...
(c) Long-Run Response
Firm Market
Price Price
S1
MC ATC
B
S2
P2
A C
P1 P1 Long-run
supply
D2
D1
0 Quantity 0 Q 1 Q2 Q3 Quantity
(firm) (market)
Why the Long-Run Supply
Curve Might Slope Upward
 Some resources used in

production may be available only
in limited quantities.
 Firms may have different costs.
Marginal Firm
The marginal firm is the firm

that would exit the market if
the price were any lower.
Summary
 Because a competitive firm is a price

taker, its revenue is proportional to
the amount of output it produces.
 The price of the good equals both the
firm’s average revenue and its
marginal revenue.
Summary
 To maximize profit a firm chooses
the quantity of output such that
marginal revenue equals marginal
cost.
 This is also the quantity at which
price equals marginal cost.
 Therefore, the firm’s marginal cost
curve is its supply curve.
Summary
 In the short run when a firm cannot
recover its fixed costs, the firm will choose
to shut down temporarily if the price of
the good is less than average variable cost.
 In the long run when the firm can recover
both fixed and variable costs, it will
choose to exit if the price is less than
average total cost.
Summary
 In a market with free entry and exit,
profits are driven to zero in the long
run and all firms produce at the
efficient scale.
 Changes in demand have different
effects over different time horizons.
Graphical
Review

Competitive Firm...
Costs The firm maximizes
and profit by producing
Revenue the quantity at
which marginal cost MC
equals marginal
revenue.
MC2
ATC
P=MR1 P = AR = MR
AVC
MC1
0 Q1 QMAX Q2 Quantity
The Marginal-Cost Curve and the

Firm’s Supply Decision...
Costs This section of the
and firm’s MC curve is
Revenue also the firm’s
supply curve. MC
P2
P1 ATC
AVC
0 Q1 Q2 Quantity
The Firm’s Short-Run Decision to
Shut Down...
Firm’s short-run
Costs supply curve.
MC
If P > ATC,
keep producing
at a profit.
ATC
If P > AVC,
keep producing AVC
in the short run.
If P < AVC,
shut down.
0 Quantity
Run Supply Curve...
Costs
MC = Long-run S
Firm enters
if P > ATC
ATC
AVC
Firm exits
if P < ATC
0 Quantity
Run Supply Curve...
Costs
Firm’s long-run MC
supply curve
ATC
AVC
0 Quantity
Price a. A Firm with Profits
MC ATC
Profit
P P = AR = MR
ATC
0 Q Quantity
Profit-maximizing quantity
Price b. A Firm with Losses
MC ATC
ATC
P P = AR = MR
Loss
0 Q Quantity
Loss-minimizing quantity
with a Fixed Number of Firms...
(a) Individual Firm Supply (b) Market Supply
Price Price
MC Supply
$2.00 $2.00
1.00 1.00
0 100 200 Quantity 0 100,000 200,000 Quantity

(firm) (market)
with Entry and Exit...
(a) Firm’s Zero-Profit Condition (b) Market Supply
Price Price
MC
ATC
P=
minimum Supply
ATC
0 Quantity 0 Quantity
(firm) (market)
Run...
(a) Initial Condition
Firm Market
Price Price
ATC
MC S1
A
P1 P P1 Long-run
supply
D1
0 Quantity 0 Q1 Quantity
(firm) (market)
Run...
(b) Short-Run Response
Firm Market
Price Price
Profit MC ATC S1
B
P2 P2
A
P1 P1 Long-run
supply
D2
D1
0 Quantity 0 Q 1 Q2 Quantity
(firm) (market)
Run...
(c) Long-Run Response
Firm Market
Price Price
S1
MC ATC
B
S2
P2
A C
P1 P1 Long-run
supply
D2
D1
0 Quantity 0 Q 1 Q2 Q3 Quantity
(firm) (market)

Firms in Competitive Markets

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Firms in Competitive

Copyright © 2001 by Harcourt, Inc.

 A perfectly competitive market has

 As a result of its characteristics, the

Buyers and sellers in competitive

Buyers and sellers must accept the

Total revenue for a firm is the selling

Total revenue is proportional to the

Average revenue tells us how much

In perfect competition, average

Marginal revenue is the change in

For competitive firms, marginal

Quantity Price Total Revenue Average Revenue Marginal Revenue

Profit Maximization for the

Profit maximization occurs at the

When MR > MC  increase Q

When MR < MC  decrease Q

The Marginal-Cost Curve and the

The firm considers its sunk costs

The portion of the marginal-cost

The competitive firm’s long-run

Market supply equals the sum

 For any given price, each firm

0 100 200 Quantity 0 100,000 200,000 Quantity

 Some resources used in

The marginal firm is the firm

 Because a competitive firm is a price

Profit Maximization for the

The Marginal-Cost Curve and the

0 100 200 Quantity 0 100,000 200,000 Quantity

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