Differentiate fixed costs and variable costs. 1  Total cost is the sum of fixed and variable costs.  Variable costs change according to the quantity of a good or service being produced. The amount of materials and labor that is needed for to make a good increases in direct proportion to the number of goods produced.
Southern Copper Corporation is an American-based copper producer with major operations in Mexico and Peru. Grupo Mexico currently owns 75.1% of the company, which produced 487 thousand metric tons of copper in 2010. Major assets include the Cuajone and Toquepala mines in Peru and the Cananea mine in Mexico.
The copper probably came from the Caucasus region more than 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) away. In ancient Egypt, people used copper alloys to make jewelry, including toe rings. Researchers have found massive copper mines from the 10th century B.C. in Israel. About two-thirds of the copper on Earth is found in igneous (volcanic) rocks.