7.8 : 平均成本与边际成本之间的关系

The marginal cost is the additional cost incurred by producing one more unit of a good.

On the other hand, the average cost is the total cost divided by the number of goods produced. It gives a per-unit cost of production.

The relationship between the marginal cost and the average cost indicates whether producing additional units is cost-effective, influencing overall production efficiency.

At lower levels of production, the marginal cost is below the average cost. During this stage, the average cost decreases. As production rises, the marginal cost exceeds the average cost. Here, the average cost curve begins to rise.

This is because each additional unit costs more to produce than the previous average cost, raising the average cost per unit as output increases. The intersection of the marginal cost curve with the average cost curve occurs at the lowest point of the average cost curve. This point indicates the most efficient scale of production, where costs are minimized and production is optimized.

Understanding this relationship helps businesses provide valuable insights into the efficiency of the production process and make informed pricing decisions.