Section 3: Average Revenue and Marginal Revenue (2024)

Average Revenue

Average revenue is revenue per product. For example, if your firm’s total revenue is $200, and you are selling 100 products, then your average revenue is $200 divided by 100, or $2.

Marginal Revenue

Marginal revenue is the additional revenue from selling one more product. Let’s say that your firm’s total revenue is $200 when you sell 100 products, and your total revenue is $220 when you sell 110 products. Then your marginal revenue is $20 (the additional revenue) divided by 10 (the additional production), which equals $2.

Abbreviations

We use the following abbreviations:

Average Revenue = AR
Marginal Revenue = MR

Total, Average, and Marginal Revenue Curves

In Unit 2, we learned that if the supply of a product increases, its equilibrium price decreases. However, one firm in pure competition makes up a very small part of the entire industry. Therefore, if this one firm’s quantity sold increases, it will have an insignificant effect on the price. In the above example, the purely competitive firm increases its quantity sold from 100 to 110. If the other firms in the industry do not increase their quantity supplied, then the market supply does not increase significantly, and we can assume that the price remains constant at $2. Note that if the price is constant, then the average revenue and marginal revenues equal the price.

Section 3: Average Revenue and Marginal Revenue (1)

Below is a table of a hypothetical firm, which has a choice of selling quantities ranging from 0 to 130. The product’s price is constant at $2. Therefore, average and marginal revenue are $2, as well. For example, at a quantity of 110 units, the total revenue is 110 times $2, or $220. The marginal revenue is the change in total revenue divided by the change in quantity. At a quantity of 110, the change in total revenue is $20 (relative to the previous quantity of 100), and the change in the quantity is 10 (110 minus 100), so the marginal revenue is $20 divided by 10, or $2. The average revenue is the total revenue divided by the quantity produced. For example, at a quantity of 120, the total revenue is $240. Therefore, the average revenue at this quantity is $240 divided by 120, or $2.

QuantityPriceTRMRAR
0$2$0$2$2
100$2$200$2$2
110$2$220$2$2
120$2$240$2$2
130$2$260$2$2

Plotting the points for the quantities and total revenue from the table above, we can draw the following total revenue curve:

Section 3: Average Revenue and Marginal Revenue (2)

Plotting the points for the quantities and marginal and average revenue from the table above, we can draw the following marginal and average revenue curve. Because the price is constant, the marginal and average revenue curves are the same. The demand curve (D) of a purely competitive firm is also the same as the MR and AR curves.

Section 3: Average Revenue and Marginal Revenue (3)

In the next section, we will combine the firm’s marginal and average revenue curves with its cost curves, and arrive at the profit maximizing output and total profit value.

Section 3: Average Revenue and Marginal Revenue (2024)

FAQs

Section 3: Average Revenue and Marginal Revenue? ›

Average revenue is revenue per product. For example, if your firm's total revenue is $200, and you are selling 100 products, then your average revenue is $200 divided by 100, or $2. Marginal revenue is the additional revenue from selling one more product.

What is average revenue and marginal revenue? ›

Definition. The Average Revenue is defined as the revenue that an organisation can avail by selling a unit of their product or service. The Marginal Revenue is defined as the income that an organisation can avail by selling an additional unit of their product or service.

What is the relationship between AR and MR? ›

The relationship between AR and MR is crucial in understanding consumer behaviour. AR is the revenue earned per unit of output sold, while MR denotes the added revenue acquired from vending an additional unit of output. The relationship between AR and MR is crucial for firms to determine how they set prices.

Why is AR and MR the same in perfect competition? ›

Average revenue is simply the total amount of revenue received divided by the total quantity of goods sold. In a perfect competition, marginal revenue is most often equal to average revenue. This is because collective market forces make each participant a price-taker.

How do you calculate Mr and Mc? ›

In this case, the total revenue is $200, or $10 x 20. The total revenue from producing 21 units is $205. The marginal revenue is calculated as $5, or ($205 - $200) ÷ (21-20). The marginal cost of production measures the change in the total cost of a good that arises from producing one additional unit of that good.

What is an example of a marginal revenue? ›

Marginal Revenue and Markup Pricing

However, profit maximization information explains the company's ability to set a price that exceeds marginal cost. For example, if a company sells five units at $10 each and six units at $9 each, then the marginal revenue from the sixth unit is (6 * 9) – (5 * 10) = $4.

What is the difference between AR vs MR? ›

Augmented reality (AR) overlays the real world with digital elements that enhance your perception of the environment, creating a composite view that combines both. Mixed reality (MR) seamlessly brings together the virtual and physical worlds and, more importantly, allows both to interact with each other.

What is the difference between AR and MR? ›

Augmented reality (AR): a view of the real world—physical world—with an overlay of digital elements. Mixed Reality (MR): a view of the real world—physical world—with an overlay of digital elements where physical and digital elements can interact. Virtual reality (VR): a fully-immersive digital environment.

Can AR and MR be equal? ›

Firm's demand curve under perfect competition is a horizontal straight line parallel to X-axis. Under perfect competition, AR is constant for a firm. Hence, AR = MR.

Why is the AR MR in a perfect market? ›

In a perfectly competitive market, AR is equal to the market price because the firm can sell any quantity at the same price. Marginal Revenue (MR): Marginal revenue represents the additional revenue a firm earns by producing and selling one more unit. It's the change in total revenue when output increases by one unit.

What is the difference between AR and MR in economics? ›

MR pertains to a change in TR only on account of the last unit sold. On the other hand, AR is based on all the units that the firm sells. Therefore, even a small change in AR causes a much bigger change in MR. In fact, when AR reduces, MR reduces by a far greater margin.

Can marginal revenue be negative? ›

Marginal revenue can be negative, and it often is. When units of output sold are priced at a lower rate than the average price of all units sold, marginal revenue falls.

What is the marginal cost for dummies? ›

Marginal cost is the change in total production cost that comes from making or producing one more unit. It's calculated by dividing the change in production costs by the change in quantity. You can use marginal cost to determine your optimal production volume and pricing. It includes both fixed and variable costs.

Why do marginal costs increase? ›

Marginal cost is the extra cost incurred in producing one additional unit of output. Because the marginal product of the variable resource increases and then decreases (as more of the variable resource is employed to increase output) marginal cost decreases and then increases as output increases.

What is the MR MC rule? ›

The profit-maximizing choice for a perfectly competitive firm will occur at the level of output where marginal revenue is equal to marginal cost—that is, where MR = MC.

What is the definition of average revenue? ›

Average revenue is referred to as the revenue that is earned per unit of output. In other words, it is the revenue that is obtained by the seller on selling each unit of the commodity. Average revenue of a business is obtained by dividing the total revenue with the total output.

What is an example of average revenue? ›

Average revenue is revenue per product. For example, if your firm's total revenue is $200, and you are selling 100 products, then your average revenue is $200 divided by 100, or $2. Marginal revenue is the additional revenue from selling one more product.

What is the meaning of marginal revenue? ›

Marginal revenue is the change in total revenue resulting from producing one more unit of output - one more unit of a good or service. Marginal revenue is calculated by figuring out the difference between total revenues produced, before the additional unit of output and after you increase production by one unit.

What is the relationship between AR and MR in a monopoly? ›

This relationship between the marginal and average revenue of a monopoly firm is stated as follows: AR and MR are both negative sloped (downward sloping) curves. MR curve lies half-way between the AR curve and the Y-axis. i.e. it cuts the horizontal line between the Y-axis and AR into two equal parts.

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