Marginaalitulokset

Marginaalitulokset, also known as marginal results, refers to the additional revenue or profit generated from selling one more unit of a good or service. In economics, it is a key concept for understanding optimal production levels and pricing strategies. The principle of marginal analysis suggests that a firm should continue to produce and sell units as long as the marginal revenue, the revenue from the last unit sold, is greater than or equal to the marginal cost, the cost of producing that last unit. When marginal revenue equals marginal cost, the firm is operating at its profit-maximizing output level.

The calculation of marginal results is straightforward. Marginal revenue is the change in total revenue divided by the change in quantity sold, and marginal cost is the change in total cost divided by the change in quantity produced. For example, if a company sells 100 units for a total revenue of $1000 and 101 units for a total revenue of $1015, the marginal revenue of the 101st unit is $15. Similarly, if producing 100 units costs $800 and producing 101 units costs $810, the marginal cost of the 101st unit is $10. In this scenario, producing the 101st unit is profitable as marginal revenue ($15) exceeds marginal cost ($10).

Understanding marginal results is crucial for businesses when making decisions about increasing or decreasing production, setting prices, and evaluating the profitability of new products or services. It helps to avoid overproduction, which can lead to unsold inventory and wasted resources, or underproduction, which can result in missed sales opportunities and lower profits. The concept is applicable across various industries and is a fundamental tool in microeconomic analysis.