Operating Leverage Beck Inc. and Bryant Inc. have the following operating data: Beck Inc. Bryant Inc. Sales $369,100 $1,044,000 Variable costs (148,100) (626,400) Contribution margin $221,000 $417,600 Fixed costs (156,000) (243,600) Operating income $65,000 $174,000 a. Compute the operating leverage for Beck Inc. and Bryant Inc. If required, round to one decimal place. Beck Inc. Bryant Inc. b. How much would operating income increase for each company if the sales of each increased by 20%? If required, round answers to nearest whole number. Dollars Percentage Beck Inc. $ % Bryant Inc. $ %

Wo firms, a and b, each currently dump 50 tons of chemicals into the local river. the government has decided to reduce the pollution and from now on will require a pollution permit for each ton of pollution dumped into the river. it costs firm a $100 for each ton of pollution that it eliminates before it reaches the river, and it costs firm b $50 for each ton of pollution that it eliminates before it reaches the river. the government gives each firm 20 pollution permits. government officials are not sure whether to allow the firms to buy or sell the pollution permits to each other. what is the total cost of reducing pollution if firms are not allowed to buy and sell pollution permits from each other? what is the total cost of reducing pollution if the firms are allowed to buy and sell permits from each other? a. $3,000; $1,500 b. $4,500; $3,500 c. $4,500; $4,000 d. $4,500; $2,500