A manufacturer divides the production of reusable water bottles into four stages, each carried out by a different team. Partway through the second shift, the coating oven breaks down.
| Shift | Bottle bodies formed | Bottles coated | Lids fitted | Bottles packed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First shift | 480 | 460 | 450 | 440 |
| Second shift (oven breaks down) | 500 | 130 | 120 | 110 |
The coating oven remains out of use for the whole of the third shift.
Which conclusion is best supported by the data?
The unit cost is likely to fall because fewer bottles are completed using the same premises
The packing stage is likely to have caused the disruption because its normal output was lowest
Uncoated bottles are likely to accumulate while later-stage workers run out of items to process
The firm's productivity is likely to rise because the forming stage increased its output
84 exam-style questions on AQA GCSE Economics 1.2 Resource allocation, covering 1.2.1a Markets, 1.2.1b Allocation of resources, 1.2.1c Factor and product markets, 1.2.2a Primary, secondary and tertiary sectors, 1.2.2b Goods and services, 1.2.3a Specialisation and the division of labour, 1.2.3b How and why producers specialise, and 1.2.3c Costs and benefits of the division of labour. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.