Definitions Flashcards
Fundamental economic problem
humans have unlimited wants but there are finite resources to provide the goods and services.
unlimited demand but finite supply
scarcity
when the demand for a resource is greater than the supply
opportunity cost
the value of the next best alternative foregone
factors of production (FoP)
the resources used to produce goods and services. there are four factors, land, labour, capital, enterprise
land
the physical space and the natural resources within it. eg river with fish
labor
the people used to transform resources into goods and services available to purchase
capital goods
a company’s physical equipment and machinery it uses to generate consumer goods and services.
enterprise
individuals ideas, concept and emotional effort to produce a product or service to introduce into the economy. risk takers
investment
an asset acquired with the goal of generating income or appreciation
saving
the money that person has left over after they subtract out their spending from their income over a given time period
interest
income earnt off capital.
rent
fee charged for the use of a resource or asset.
profit
the difference between the return and capital, labour and land
production possibility frontier (PPF curve)
graph which shows the different combinations of outputs of two goods that can be produced using available factors of production efficiently.
market economy
economic system which prices and production is determined by unrestricted competition between privately owned businesses
mixed economy
economic system combining private and state enterprise
command economy
economic system where the government dictates the levels of production and prices for goods and services.
positive statement
statements that can be tested to be true or false using evidence.