What characterizes variable costs?

Variable costs are characterized by their direct relationship with the level of production. As production increases or decreases, variable costs will fluctuate accordingly. This means that the more units produced, the higher the variable costs will be, while fewer units lead to lower variable costs. Examples of variable costs include materials, labor directly associated with production, and shipping costs, which all change in alignment with the volume of goods being produced.

In contrast, constant costs do not change with production levels, are incurred regardless of operational activity, and pertain to different categories than variable costs. Additionally, the options suggesting that variable costs are related to profitability or long-term investments do not accurately describe their nature, as these aspects are more aligned with fixed costs or general finance principles.