Suppose a chair manufacturer finds that the marginal rate of technical substitution​ (MRTS) of capital for labor in her production process is substantially than the ratio of the wage rate for​ assembly-line labor​ (w) to the rental rate on machinery​ (r). How should she alter her use of labor and capital to minimize the cost of​ production? Holding output​ constant, the chair manufacturer should use ▼ less more labor and ▼ more less capital.

The chair manufacturer should use less labor and more capital.

Explanation:

Note: This question is not complete because the important word less is omitted. The complete question is therefore provided before answering the question as follows:

Suppose a chair manufacturer finds that the marginal rate of technical substitution (MRTS) of capital for labor in her production process is substantially less than the ratio of the wage rate for assembly-line labor (w) to the rental rate on machinery (r). How should she alter her use of labor and capital to minimize the cost of production? Holding output constant, the chair manufacturer should use [less/more] labor and [more/less] capital.

Explanation of the answer is now provided as follows:

The marginal rate of technical substitution (MRST) is the amount by which the quantity of one input must be reduced when one more unit of another input is used to keep output constant.

In order to minimize cost of production while holding output constant, when the MRTS of capital for labor is substantially greater than the ratio of w to r, it implies that less capital and more labor should be used; but when the MRTS of capital for labor is substantially less than the ratio of w to r, it implies that more capital and less labor should be used.

Based on the above explanation, the chair manufacturer should use less labor and more capital.