If a perfectly competitive firm is producing at the P = MC output and realizing an economic profit, at that output:

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Consider the setup: a perfectly competitive firm faces a horizontal demand curve, so price (P) equals marginal revenue (MR) and also equals average revenue (AR). The firm is producing where P = MC and is earning an economic profit, which implies P > ATC.

Option 1: 'marginal revenue is less than price.' In perfect competition, MR = P exactly; they are not different. Therefore MR cannot be less than price in this context, so this statement is incorrect.

Option 2: 'marginal revenue exceeds ATC.' Since P > ATC for an economic profit and MR = P, it follows that MR > ATC as well. This aligns with earning positive profit at the P = MC output, making this statement correct.

Option 3: 'total revenue equals total cost.' If total revenue equaled total cost, profit would be zero (economic profit would be zero). The problem states the firm is realizing an economic profit, so this option cannot be true.

Option 4: 'ATC is being minimized.' The condition P = MC does not guarantee that ATC is minimized. ATC is minimized where MC = ATC, not merely where P = MC. Since P > ATC in this scenario (to have positive profit), ATC is not necessarily at its minimum. Therefore this statement is not necessarily true and is incorrect here.

In summary: only option 2 is consistent with a perfectly competitive firm producing at P = MC and earning economic profit; the other statements contradict the given conditions or standard relationships in perfect competition.

Introduction to Principles of Economics - Micro Test #2 - 10% Test #2 - 10%

If a perfectly competitive firm is producing at the P = MC output and realizing an economic profit, at that output:

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