Suppose every molecule of salt requires exactly one sodium atom, Na, and one chlorine atom, Cl. The production function that describes this is:
A) $\mathrm { Q } = \mathrm { Na } + \mathrm { Cl }$
B) $\mathrm { Q } = \mathrm { Na } \times \mathrm { Cl }$
C) $Q = \min ( \mathrm { Na } , \mathrm { Cl } )$
D) $Q = \max ( \mathrm { Na } , \mathrm { Cl } )$

Question

Suppose every molecule of salt requires exactly one sodium atom, Na, and one chlorine atom, Cl. The production function that describes this is: 
A) $\mathrm { Q } = \mathrm { Na } + \mathrm { Cl }$
B) $\mathrm { Q } = \mathrm { Na } \times \mathrm { Cl }$
C) $Q = \min ( \mathrm { Na } , \mathrm { Cl } )$
D) $Q = \max ( \mathrm { Na } , \mathrm { Cl } )$

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The production of salt is limited by the lesser of the two inputs (Na or Cl) because each molecule of salt requires exactly one of each. Therefore, the correct production function is $Q = \min ( \mathrm { Na } , \mathrm { Cl } )$, which ensures that the quantity of salt produced cannot exceed the amount of the lesser input.

Suppose Every Molecule of Salt Requires Exactly One Sodium Atom Q=Na+Cl\mathrm { Q } = \mathrm { Na } + \mathrm { Cl }Q=Na+Cl

Suppose Every Molecule of Salt Requires Exactly One Sodium Atom $\mathrm { Q } = \mathrm { Na } + \mathrm { Cl }$