MARGINAL REVENUE PRODUCT CURVE: A curve that graphically illustrates the relation between marginal revenue product and the quantity of the variable input, holding all other inputs fixed. This curve indicates the incremental change in total revenue for incremental changes in the variable input. The marginal revenue product curve plays a key role in marginal productivity theory and the economic analysis of factor markets.The marginal revenue product curve indicates how marginal revenue product is related to the quantity of a variable input used in production. While the analysis of factor markets tends to focus on labor as the variable input, a marginal revenue product curve can be constructed for any input.
The shape of this marginal revenue product curve is most important. For the first two workers of variable input, marginal revenue product increases, as each added worker contributes more to total revenue than previous workers. This is reflected in a positive slope of the marginal revenue product curve. From the third worker on, the marginal revenue product declines, as each added worker contributes less to total revenue than previous workers. This is seen as a negative slope. The hump-shape of the marginal revenue product curve embodies the essence of the analysis of short-run production. The upward-sloping portion of the marginal revenue product curve, up to the second worker, is due to increasing marginal returns. Decreasing marginal returns sets in after the marginal revenue product curve peaks with the second worker and declines for the third worker. In particular, this declining segment of the marginal revenue product curve reflects the law of diminishing marginal returns. This marginal revenue product curve is THE key ingredient for deriving the factor demand curve. Check Out These Related Terms... | marginal revenue product | marginal physical product | total physical product curve | average revenue product | average revenue product curve | marginal productivity theory | total physical product | average physical product | Or For A Little Background... | factor market analysis | short-run production analysis | marginal product | marginal revenue | total product | total revenue | production function | law of diminishing marginal returns | production | production cost | marginal analysis | factors of production | marginal returns | And For Further Study... | derived demand | marginal factor cost | marginal factor cost curve | mobility | monopsony | bilateral monopoly | factor demand | factor demand curve | factor demand elasticity | Recommended Citation: MARGINAL REVENUE PRODUCT CURVE, AmosWEB Encyclonomic WEB*pedia, http://www.AmosWEB.com, AmosWEB LLC, 2000-2024. [Accessed: October 17, 2024]. |
