3. if a 10 percent increase in both capital and labor causes output to increase by less than 10 percent, the production function is said to exhibit decreas- ing returns to scale. if it causes output to increase by more than 10 percent, the production func- tion is said to exhibit increasing returns to scale. why might a production function exhibit decreasing or increasing returns to scale?

You and your new australian bride matilda, are applying for a loan and are required to submit a balance sheet with your net worth. you own a 2008 toyota camry that you bought last month for $9,995. the kelly blue book value for this car is $13,995. you owe $8,150 on the car loan for the camry. you pay off your visa credit card every month and have not paid any credit card interest this year. the current visa credit card balance is $3,522, and the next statement is due in 15 days. you have a student loan balance of $6,500. you presently have $425 in your checking account and $1,540 in your savings account. you own 100 shares of ibm stock that you purchased for $85.50 per share. one share of ibm is now selling for $158.42. you own computers and other electronics that you purchased for $4,100 but could probably sell today on e-bay for $1,800. your gross income is $80,000 per year. what is your current net worth? (see wb ch. 2 example 2.3)

Alandlord rented an art studio to an artist. under the terms of the signed, written, two-year lease, the artist agreed to pay the landlord $1,000 per month and to assume responsibility for all necessary repairs. after the first year of the lease, the artist assigned the balance of his lease to a sculptor. the landlord approved the sculptor as a tenant and accepted two rent payments from her, and then the landlord sold the building to an investor. the sculptor had made two payments to the investor when an electrical fire broke out in the studio, injuring the sculptor. the fire was caused by faulty wiring. the landlord was aware that there was a dangerous wiring problem when he leased the property to the artist. but when the landlord discovered how costly repairs would be, he decided it would be more profitable to sell the property than to repair it. the problem was not easily discoverable by anyone other than an expert electrician, and the landlord did not tell the artist, the sculptor, or the investor about the problem. the sculptor sues to recover damages for her injuries. from whom can the sculptor recover?

China's new 5 percent tax on disposable wooden chopsticks, reflecting concerns about deforestation, has been praised by environmentalists. the move is hitting hard at the japanese, who consume 25 billion set of wooden chopsticks annually. almost all of the chopsticks used in japan come from china. the reuirements for chinese manufacturers of wooden chopsticks to pay the 5 percent tax is a factor in their external environment.