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Market Structures

Short run and long run equilibrium in monopolistic competition

  • 3 things to know
  • All three components

Overview

Short run equilibrium with abnormal profit in monopolistic competition, short run equilibrium with a loss in monopolistic competition and long run equilibrium in monopolistic competition.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

How does a firm in monopolistic competition choose its output?

Key term

Describe short run equilibrium with abnormal profit in monopolistic competition.

Key term

Describe short run equilibrium with a loss in monopolistic competition.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    How does a firm in monopolistic competition choose its output?

    Model answer

    The firm produces where marginal cost equals marginal revenue. Price is then read off the downward sloping average revenue curve above that output.

  2. 2

    Describe short run equilibrium with abnormal profit in monopolistic competition.

    Model answer

    Price lies above average cost at the profit maximising output in the short run. The firm therefore earns abnormal profit while entry has not yet occurred.

  3. 3

    Describe short run equilibrium with a loss in monopolistic competition.

    Model answer

    Average cost lies above price at the profit maximising output. The firm minimises its loss and continues while price covers average variable cost.

  4. 4

    How does the short run adjust to the long run in monopolistic competition?

    Model answer

    Abnormal profit attracts new firms, which take customers from the existing ones. Each firm's demand curve shifts left and grows more elastic until only normal profit remains.

  5. 5

    Describe long run equilibrium in monopolistic competition.

    Model answer

    The average revenue curve is tangential to the average cost curve at the chosen output. Price equals average cost, so each firm earns only normal profit.

  6. 6

    Why does the demand curve of each firm shift left as new firms enter?

    Model answer

    New entrants offer close substitutes and take a share of the market. Firms already in the market sell less at every price, so their demand curves move left.

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