The following table shows the amount of resources (in man-hours) required to produce good A or good B in Oceanland and Funland, respectively.
 
A

B

Oceanland

X

12

Funland

6

18

If Oceanland has a comparative advantage in producing A, then, the maximum value of X should be strictly smaller than **[Answer]**.

(In decimal numbers, with two decimal places, please.)

To find the maximum value of \( X \) such that Oceanland has a comparative advantage in producing good A, we can use the concept of opportunity cost.

### Step 1: Opportunity cost in each country

- The opportunity cost of producing good A in **Oceanland** is the amount of good B that could be produced instead. This is computed as the ratio of resources required to produce one unit of B to the resources required to produce one unit of A. The opportunity cost of A in Oceanland is:
  \[
  \text{Opportunity cost of A in Oceanland} = \frac{12}{X}
  \]
  
- The opportunity cost of producing good A in **Funland** is similarly calculated as:
  \[
  \text{Opportunity cost of A in Funland} = \frac{18}{6} = 3
  \]

### Step 2: Comparative advantage condition

Oceanland has a comparative advantage in producing good A if its opportunity cost of producing A is lower than Funland’s. Therefore, we set up the inequality:
\[
\frac{12}{X} < 3
\]

### Step 3: Solve the inequality

To solve for \( X \), multiply both sides by \( X \) and then divide by 3:
\[
12 < 3X \quad \Rightarrow \quad X > \frac{12}{3} = 4
\]

Thus, for Oceanland to have a comparative advantage in producing good A, \( X \) must be strictly greater than 4. Therefore, the maximum value of \( X \) should be strictly smaller than **4.00**.

### Final Answer:
The maximum value of \( X \) should be strictly smaller than **4.00**.

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Would you like further details or have any questions?

Here are 5 related questions to explore further:
1. What is absolute advantage, and how does it differ from comparative advantage?
2. How is the opportunity cost of good B calculated for both countries?
3. If Oceanland’s man-hours to produce good B decreased, how would that affect the comparative advantage?
4. What would happen if Funland’s man-hours to produce good A increased to 10?
5. How can trade be beneficial even if one country has an absolute advantage in both goods?

**Tip:** Comparative advantage focuses on lower opportunity costs, not the absolute amount of resources used!

The following table shows the amount of resources (in man-hours) required to produce good A or good B in Oceanland and Funland, respectively.

A B Oceanland X 12 Funland 6 18

If Oceanland has a comparative advantage in producing A, then, the maximum value of X should be strictly smaller than [Answer].

Explore how to determine the maximum value of X such that Oceanland has a comparative advantage in producing good A. This problem applies opportunity cost calculations and inequality concepts, making it suitable for Grades 9-12 students.

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