Professional Documents
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Competitive supply
Factor inputs can be used
to produce different
products
Output of beef
Production Output of
possibility wheat
curve
(frontier)
introduction
PPC1
Output of beef
Production Output of
wheat
possibility
curve
introduction
curve
introduction
A
W1
B1 Output of
Production Output of
wheat
Steep PPC
Means you are sacrificing a lot of
possibility wheat for only a little extra beef.
curve
introduction
A
W1
B1 B2 Output of beef
Production Output of
wheat
Opportunity cost = lost
output of wheat / gained
possibility output of beef
curve = W2W1 / B2B1
introduction
A
W1
B1 B2 Output of beef
Production Output of
wheat
Opportunity cost = lost
output of wheat / gained
possibility output of beef
curve = -60/10 = 6 units of wheat
for each extra unit of beef
introduction
A
200
80 90 Output of beef
Production Output of
wheat
Because of diminishing
returns, the opportunity cost
possibility of producing extra beef
curve increases as we move down
the PPC.
introduction
A
200
80 90 Output of beef
Production Output of
wheat
Opportunity cost of moving
from B to C = -70/5 = 14 units
possibility of wheat for each extra unit
curve PPC1 of beef.
introduction
A
200
If the law of diminishing returns holds true, then the opportunity cost of
expanding output of X measured in terms of lost units of Y is increasing.
Resources such as land, capital and labour used in producing wheat might
not be equally suited to producing beef
Shifts in the
Production
Possibility Curve
Beef
Output of
wheat
B B2 Beef
Output of
wheat
Shifts in the
Production
Possibility Curve
B Beef
Output of
wheat
Shifts in the
Production
Possibility Curve D
Shifts in the
Production D
Possibility Curve
B Beef
Output of
wheat
B E Beef
Question: How can China Farm
achieve an increase in their Output
productive potential in farm (Food)
output and vehicles (PPC1 shifts
to PPC2)?
PPC1
Shifting out the PPF for China:
PPC2
1. Achieve gains in labour
productivity (higher wages, more
market competition, privatisation)
2. Population growth – natural
A
growth + high net inward
migration
3. Investment in capital - domestic
investment from Chinese firms +
government investment + foreign
investment coming in
4. Investment in natural resources
such as land reclamation,
discovering new minerals
5. Innovation designed to increase
productive potential B Vehicles
Output of
wheat
Improved
productivity in PPC1
the beef industry
(ceteris paribus)
B E Beef
Output of PPC2
wheat
Improved
productivity in PPC1
the wheat
industry (ceteris C
paribus)
A
B Beef
OVERVIEW OF KEY CAUSES OF PPF SHIFTING OUT
Cause of an outward shift in the PPC Comment on the cause of the shift in the PPC
• Higher productivity / efficiency of This increases the output per unit of an input
factor inputs used in production
Improved management reduces waste and
• Better management of factor inputs improves product quality
• Increase in the stock of capital and From inward labour migration / increased capital
labour supply investment
* B Economic growth
* A Only A
* B B and C
* C A, B and C
* D A, B, C, D and E