Which of the following best describes the relationship between output and variable costs?

The relationship between output and variable costs is characterized by the fact that variable costs increase as output increases. This is because variable costs are directly tied to the level of production. As a company produces more goods or offers more services, it incurs higher variable costs, which include expenses such as materials, labor directly associated with the production process, and utilities that increase with the level of production.

When output rises, the company needs more resources to create additional products, leading to higher expenditures. For example, if a factory makes more widgets, it would need to purchase extra raw materials and might require more labor hours, all of which contribute to an increase in variable costs.

In contrast, options that suggest no relationship or decrease in variable costs as output increases contradict the fundamental principles of cost behavior in business. Additionally, suggesting that variable costs are fixed regardless of output is misleading since that description aligns more closely with fixed costs, which do not change with production levels. Thus, understanding that variable costs rise with output is crucial for effective budgeting and financial forecasting in business operations.