Suppose Jason Owns a Small Pastry Shop

question 273

Multiple Choice

Suppose Jason owns a small pastry shop.Jason wants to maximize his profit,and thinking back to the college microeconomics class he took in college,he decides he needs to produce a quantity of pastries which will minimize his average total cost.Will Jason's strategy necessarily maximize profits for his pastry shop?

• A) Yes; Since jason's pastry shop is in a perfectly competitive market, the only way to maximize profit is to produce the quantity where average total cost is minimized.
• B) Not necessarily; This strategy will only maximize Jason's profit in the long run, but not in the short run.
• C) No; In order to maximize profit, Jason would never want to produce the quantity where average total cost is minimized.
• D) Not necessarily; Depending on demand, Jason may maximize profit by producing a quantity other than that where average total cost is at a minimum.

---

Definitions:

External Costs

Costs that are not borne by the producer or consumer but by third parties or society at large, such as pollution or resource depletion.

External Benefit

A positive effect on a party who did not choose to incur that benefit, often associated with public goods or services.

Public‐spirited

Exhibiting a selfless concern for the well-being of the community and the willingness to act for the public good.

Air Pollution

The presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans and other living beings or cause damage to the climate or materials.