Microeconomic Theory 11th Edition by Walter Nicholson,Christopher Snyder

Exercise 1

Power Goat Lawn Company uses two sizes of mowers to cut lawns. The smaller mowers have a 22-inch deck. The larger ones combine two of the 22-inch decks in a single mower. For each size of mower, Power Goat has a different production function, given by the rows of the following table.

a. Graph the q = 40,000 square feet isoquant for the first production function. How much k and l would be used if these factors were combined without waste?
b. Answer part (a) for the second function.
c. How much k and l would be used without waste if half of the 40,000-square-foot lawn were cut by the method of the first production function and half by the method of the second? How much k and l would be used if one fourth of the lawn were cut by the first method and three fourths by the second? What does it mean to speak of fractions of k and l?
d. Based on your observations in part (c), draw a q = 40,000 isoquant for the combined production functions.