Question
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If production involves constant opportunity cost, the production possibilities frontier
a. is “bowed inward.”
b. is a straight line.
c. is “bowed outward.”
d. has an unpredictable shape.
e. is a wavy line.

Ask by Blake Schofield. in the United States
Mar 21,2025

Upstudy AI Solution

Tutor-Verified Answer

Answer

The production possibilities frontier is a straight line when there’s constant opportunity cost.

Solution

Since production with constant opportunity cost implies that resources are equally efficient in producing either good, the trade-off between the two goods is constant. Mathematically, if we produce goods and , the opportunity cost of producing one more unit of is constant and can be expressed as a constant ratio:
where is a constant. This results in a production possibilities frontier that is a straight line, rather than curved.
Thus, the correct answer is:
b. is a straight line.

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Mind Expander

If production involves constant opportunity cost, the production possibilities frontier is represented by a straight line. This linear shape indicates that the trade-off between the two goods is constant, meaning that for every unit of one good produced, a fixed amount of the other good must be foregone.
In real-world scenarios, constant opportunity costs can be seen in industries where resources can be easily redirected from the production of one product to another without losing efficiency, such as in manufacturing where machines can produce different items with little adjustment needed. This helps businesses optimize production based on demand.

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