JAMB 2017 Economics · Question 20

Given that the total production of Bandako farmers with one worker is 10kg. When the workers increased to 2…

Question

Given that the total production of Bandako farmers with one worker is 10kg. When the workers increased to 2, 3, and 4, the total production increases to 20, 36 and 60kg respectively. Calculate the average product (AP) of the 4th unit of labour.

A.20
B.13
C.15
D.10

Answer: C. 15

Explanation written with AI and checked against the answer key

Analyze the question: We are asked for the average product (AP) when 4 workers are employed (the "4th unit of labour").

Concept:

Average Product (AP) = Total Product (TP) ÷ Number of workers
Marginal Product (MP) = change in TP when one more worker is added

Data:

| Workers | TP (kg) | AP = TP/L | MP | |---|---|---|---| | 1 | 10 | 10 | 10 | | 2 | 20 | 10 | 10 | | 3 | 36 | 12 | 16 | | 4 | 60 | 15 | 24 |

Solution: AP at 4 workers = 60 ÷ 4 = 15 kg

(Be careful: the marginal product of the 4th worker is 60 - 36 = 24, which is not among the options. Since the question asks for AP, the answer is 15.)

Answer: Option C (15).

Tip: AP always uses total output divided by total workers, so you divide by 4, not by 1. MP uses the difference between outputs. Read whether the question says "average" or "marginal" before you calculate.

AI can make mistakes. Report anything that looks wrong.