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The Global Insight

How does a monopolist maximize its profits?

Author

Christopher Ramos

Updated on February 09, 2026

In a monopolistic market, a firm maximizes its total profit by equating marginal cost to marginal revenue and solving for the price of one product and the quantity it must produce.

What is the formula for maximizing profits?

The profit-maximizing choice for the monopoly will be to produce at the quantity where marginal revenue is equal to marginal cost: that is, MR = MC. If the monopoly produces a lower quantity, then MR > MC at those levels of output, and the firm can make higher profits by expanding output.

What is the monopolist’s profit-maximizing level of output?

The monopolist’s profit maximizing level of output is found by equating its marginal revenue with its marginal cost, which is the same profit maximizing condition that a perfectly competitive firm uses to determine its equilibrium level of output.

What would the social gain be if this monopolist were forced to produce and price at the competitive equilibrium?

Deadweight loss decreases by the difference, $48 – 32 = $16. Thus the social gain if the monopolist were forced to produce and price at the competitive level is $16.

How do you determine the profit-maximizing level of output?

The profit-maximizing choice for a perfectly competitive firm will occur at the level of output where marginal revenue is equal to marginal cost—that is, where MR = MC. This occurs at Q = 80 in the figure.

What is the profit-maximizing output for a perfectly competitive firm?

How is profit maximization used in the monopolist problem?

The profit maximizing condition can be used to solve the monopolist’s problem. Suppose, as in Demonstration 7.4. 1 below, that the inverse demand curve facing the monopolist is P = 100 − 3 Q.

Which is the point of the profit maximizing output?

The profit-maximizing output is Q* = 10, the point where marginal revenue equals marginal cost. At this output level, the slope of the profit curve is zero, and the slopes of the total revenue and total cost curves are equal. The profit per unit is $15, the difference between average revenue and average cost.

Which is a graph for a monopolistic competitor?

On a graph for a monopolist or monopolistic competitor, which of the following curves coincide? a) The demand and average revenue curves only. b) The demand and marginal revenue curves only. c) The average revenue and marginal revenue curves only. d) The demand, average revenue and marginal revenue curves.

Which is a false statement about a monopolist?

Suppose a monopolist discriminates between different groups of customer. Which of the following statements is false? a) The best strategy for the monopolist is to set the highest prices for the types of customer with the least elastic demand. b) Some customers will face a higher price than they would if the firm did not adopt price discrimination.