Revenue in a Perfectly Competitive Market
In this section, we delve into the concept of revenue for firms operating in a perfectly competitive market. A firm maximizes its profits by producing where its marginal cost equals the market price. Revenue is categorized into three key metrics - Total Revenue (TR), Average Revenue (AR), and Marginal Revenue (MR).
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Total Revenue (TR) is defined as the market price (p) multiplied by the quantity sold (q): TR = p × q. For example, if the market price of a box of candles is Rs 10, total revenue for selling different quantities can be calculated, yielding a linear total revenue curve that rises with output.
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Average Revenue (AR), which is the revenue per unit sold, equates to market price in a perfectly competitive market (
AR = TR/q = p). This relationship is essential as it demonstrates that the demand curve facing a firm is perfectly elastic.
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Marginal Revenue (MR) is the additional revenue that comes from selling one more unit of output and, for a price-taking firm, is equal to the market price (MR = p).
Through examples and graphical representations, the section elaborates on how these revenue concepts interplay, highlighting the relevance of price-taking behavior under perfect competition, and illustrates the implications of producing at different output levels.