Revision exercise on cost and revenue (HL only)
Introduction
This page contains a simple revision exercise for your classes to test how many of the definitions they can remember. I have included two printable handouts, the teacher's copy with the correct responses and a student version for your classes to complete. Allow 30 minutes for this activity.
Costs and revenue definitions – how many do you remember?
Fit the appropriate word into the table so that it fits with the correct definition. There is one economics term for each definition.
Economic term | Definition |
Short run | A period of time when at least one factor of production is fixed, usually rent or machinery |
Total cost (TC) | The total costs of production incurred by a firm. This is equal to fixed plus variable costs. In economics this includes all implicit costs as well as the explicit ones |
Fixed cost | A cost which is fixed, i.e. it does not vary with output e.g. rent, machinery, administration and marketing costs |
Variable costs (VC) | Costs which change directly with output. Examples include direct labour costs as well as supplies and raw materials |
Average cost | This is the total cost of production divided by the number of units produced (Q) |
Total product | The total output produced by a firm, measured in units |
Average product | The average output produced per unit of variable cost |
Total revenue (TR) | The total revenue produced by a firm, measured in monetary terms usually in $. This is also sometimes called sales revenue |
Long run | A period of time when all factors of production are variable |
Marginal cost | The additional cost incurred when the firm produces one more unit or output |
Marginal revenue (MR) | The additional revenue generated when one more output unit is produced |
Average variable costs | This is calculated by the total variable cost divided by output or VC / Q |
Semi -variable costs | The most difficult cost to classify as they include costs which do not fit easily into either fixed or variable cost categories |
Average fixed costs | This is calculated simply by total fixed costs / output or FC / Q |
Marginal product | The additional output generated when one more variable unit is added to the production process |
Average revenue (AR) | The average revenue produced per unit of output. This is calculated by total revenue divided by output and is equal to the price or selling price |
Total product (TP), Variable costs (VC), Marginal revenue (MR), Long run, Marginal product (MP), Average variable costs (AVC), Average revenue (AR), Semi-variable costs, Total revenue (TR), Average product (AP), Marginal cost (MC), Average cost (AC), Average fixed costs (AFC), Short run, Total costs (TC), Fixed costs (FC).

Student copy Student copy