Suppose that the total cost function, in dollars, for the production of \( x \) units of a product is given by the equation shown below. \( C(x)=4,410+85 x+0.1 x^{2} \) Find the equation of the average cost function, \( \bar{C}(x) \). \( x=21 \) (a) Find the instantaneous rate of change of average cost with respect to the number of units produced, at any level of production. (b) Find the level of production at which this rate of change equals zero. \( x=21 \) (c) At the value found in part (b), which of the following is true? The average cost function is greater than the total cost function.
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To find the average cost function \( \bar{C}(x) \), you would divide the total cost function \( C(x) \) by the number of units produced \( x \). This results in: \[ \bar{C}(x) = \frac{C(x)}{x} = \frac{4,410 + 85 x + 0.1 x^{2}}{x} = \frac{4,410}{x} + 85 + 0.1 x \] Now for part (a), the instantaneous rate of change of average cost with respect to \( x \) is given by the derivative \( \frac{d\bar{C}}{dx} \). Using calculus, you would get: \[ \frac{d\bar{C}}{dx} = -\frac{4,410}{x^{2}} + 0.1 \] For part (b), setting the derivative to zero to find where the rate of change equals zero: \[ -\frac{4,410}{x^{2}} + 0.1 = 0 \] This simplifies to \( x^{2} = 44,100 \) giving \( x \approx 210 \). Now for part (c), at \( x=210 \), you evaluate \( C(210) \) and \( \bar{C}(210) \). You will find that the average cost is less than the total cost at this level of production. So, contrary to the statement, the average cost function is not greater than the total cost function. A useful historical nugget is that the concepts of cost functions have evolved significantly since the advent of the Industrial Revolution, where such calculations became crucial for maximizing efficiency in production. The application of calculus to economics in the form of marginal cost analysis began to gain popularity in the 19th century, effectively changing the landscape of how businesses operate. In real-world application, companies today still use variations of average cost functions to inform their pricing strategies and budgeting. By understanding average costs versus total costs, businesses can scale production more effectively and improve their profit margins through precise pricing and cost management strategies.