4. in several perfectly competitive markets for minerals used as inputs in digital devices, persistent increases in demand eventually have generated long-run increases in the market prices of these devices. describe in words the types of adjustments that must have occurred in these markets to have brought about this outcome, and evaluate whether such mineral-extraction industries are increasing-, constant-, or decreasing-cost industries.

Afirm plans to begin production of a new small appliance. the manager must decide whether to purchase the motors for the appliance from a vendor at $10 each or to produce them in-house. either of two processes could be used for in-house production; process a would have an annual fixed cost of $200,000 and a variable cost of $7 per unit, and process b would have an annual fixed cost of $175,000 and a variable cost of $8 per unit. determine the range of annual volume for which each of the alternatives would be best. (round your first answer to the nearest whole number. include the indifference value itself in this answer.)