One Local Hospital Has Just Enough Space and Funds Currently

question 85

Multiple Choice

One local hospital has just enough space and funds currently available to start either a cancer or heart research lab. If administration decides on the cancer lab, there is a 20 percent chance of getting $100,000 in outside funding from the American Cancer Society next year, and an 80 percent chance of getting nothing. If the cancer research lab is funded the first year, no additional outside funding will be available the second year. However, if it is not funded the first year, then management estimates the chances are 50 percent it will get $100,000 the following year, and 50 percent that it will get nothing again. If, however, the hospital's management decides to go with the heart lab, then there is a 50 percent chance of getting $50,000 in outside funding from the American Heart Association the first year and a 50 percent chance of getting nothing. If the heart lab is funded the first year, management estimates a 40 percent chance of getting another $50,000 and a 60 percent chance of getting nothing additional the second year. If it is not funded the first year, then management estimates a 60 percent chance for getting $50,000 and a 40 percent chance for getting nothing in the following year. For both the cancer and heart research labs, no further possible funding is anticipated beyond the first two years.
What would be the total payoff if the heart lab were funded in both the first and second years?

• A)$100,000
• B)$60,000
• C)$50,000
• D)$40,000
• E)$20,000

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Definitions:

Variable Production Costs

Expenses that vary directly with the volume of production or sales, like direct labor and raw materials.

Fixed Monthly Cost

Regular expenses that do not fluctuate with production volume or sales, such as rent, salaries, and insurance, billed on a monthly basis.

Contribution Margin

Contribution margin is the difference between sales revenue and variable costs of a product or service, highlighting how much revenue contributes towards covering fixed costs and generating profit.

Fixed Manufacturing Overhead

The portion of manufacturing overhead costs that remains constant regardless of the level of production, such as salaries of supervisors and rent of the factory.