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Worldwide annual sales of all cell phones were approximately \(-10 p+1,600\) million phones when the wholesale price was \(\$ p\). Assuming that it costs \(\$ 30\) to manufacture each cell phone, at what wholesale price should cell phones have been sold to maximize annual profit? What would have been the resulting profit? \(^{10}\) HINT [See Example 3 , and recall that Profit = Revenue - Cost.]

Short Answer

Expert verified
To maximize the annual profit, the cell phones should be sold at a wholesale price of $p \approx \$80$. The resulting maximum profit would be approximately $P(p) \approx \$68$ million.

Step by step solution

01

Calculate the Revenue Function

Revenue is calculated by multiplying the number of cell phones sold by their wholesale price. We are given the sales function S(p) = -10p + 1600. To find the revenue function R(p), multiply S(p) by p: R(p) = p(-10p + 1600).
02

Calculate the Profit Function

Profit is calculated by subtracting the total cost from the total revenue. The cost to manufacture each phone is $30. To find the total cost function C(p), multiply the sales function S(p) by the manufacturing cost: C(p) = 30(-10p + 1600). Now, subtract the cost function from the revenue function to get the profit function P(p): P(p) = R(p) - C(p) = p(-10p + 1600) - 30(-10p + 1600).
03

Differentiate the Profit Function

To find the critical points, we need to determine the first derivative of the profit function with respect to p: P'(p) = d(p(-10p + 1600) - 30(-10p + 1600))/dp.
04

Find the Critical Points

Set the first derivative equal to zero, and solve for p to find the critical points: 0 = P'(p). We are only interested in the critical points that exist within a reasonable price range.
05

Check for Maximum Profit

To confirm whether the critical point corresponds to a maximum profit, check the concavity using the second derivative of the profit function P''(p). If P''(p) is negative, the critical point is a local maximum. If P''(p) is positive, the critical point is a local minimum. If P''(p) is zero, the test is inconclusive.
06

Calculate Optimal Wholesale Price and Maximum Profit

Once we have confirmed the local maximum, we can plug the critical point back into the profit function P(p) to find the maximum profit. This will also give us the optimal wholesale price to achieve the maximum profit. Follow these steps to determine the optimal wholesale price at which the cell phones should be sold to maximize annual profit and calculate the resulting profit. Keep in mind that the actual calculations may be complex, but the calculus principles will help us arrive at the optimal values.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Revenue Function
Understanding the revenue function is an essential first step in maximizing profit. In business calculus, we often model revenue as a function of price or quantity. Revenue, denoted by the function \(R(p)\), is calculated by multiplying the number of units sold by the price per unit.

In the given exercise, sales function \(S(p) = -10p + 1600\) represents the relationship between the wholesale price \(p\) and the number of cell phones sold. To find the revenue function, we multiply this sales function by the price \(p\), resulting in the revenue function formula:
  • \(R(p) = p(-10p + 1600) = -10p^2 + 1600p\)
The revenue function is a quadratic equation. It can either open upwards or downwards, impacting the potential maximum or minimum revenue that can be achieved. In this exercise, we focus on finding how this function can inform our optimal pricing strategy.
Profit Function
Profit maximization is a crucial goal in business. The profit function helps determine the optimal conditions for peak profitability. In practical terms, profit is derived from the formula:
  • Profit = Revenue - Cost
To calculate profit, we need to subtract the total manufacturing costs from the revenue. In our scenario, each cell phone costs \(\$30\) to produce, leading to the cost function \(C(p) = 30(-10p + 1600)\). Substituting our revenue and cost functions, we formulate the profit function \(P(p)\):
  • \(P(p) = R(p) - C(p) = (-10p^2 + 1600p) - (30(-10p + 1600))\)
By simplifying the expression, we can identify conditions where the profit is at its utmost. The derivation of this function is vital as it sets the stage for using calculus techniques to find optimal prices for maximum profitability.
Calculus in Economics
Calculus plays an instrumental role in solving economic problems, specifically in maximizing profit. By applying differential calculus to our profit function, we find the critical points that indicate where profit can either peak or dip.

To locate these points, we first calculate the derivative of the profit function \(P'(p)\). Solving \(P'(p) = 0\) yields these crucial points. But finding a critical point is only the first step; determining whether this point is a maximum or minimum is achieved via the second derivative test:
  • If \(P''(p) < 0\), the point is a local maximum.
  • If \(P''(p) > 0\), the point is a local minimum.
When the second derivative test indicates a maximum, we refer back to our profit function to calculate the exact profit value.

These calculus principles enable businesses to make informed decisions based on how changes in pricing can affect overall profitability. Understanding these foundational concepts can provide significant strategic advantages.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

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