Microeconomics (OFFICIAL) Flashcards
Because of scarcity, every economic decision involves
a. a trade-off.
b. a trade-in.
c. an increasing cost.
d. a money payment.
e. a tax or tariff.
a. a trade-off. Trade
Ryan spends an hour studying instead of going for a bike ride. Assume studying and bike riding were Ryan’s only options for that hour. The opportunity cost to him of studying is
Choose one answer.
a. the improvement in his grades from studying for the hour.
b. the difference between the improvement in his grades and the enjoyment from bike riding.
c. the enjoyment and exercise he would have received from bike riding.
d. zero since neither activity required Ryan to spend any money.
e. the value of the knowledge he gained by studying.
c. the enjoyment and exercise he would have received from bike riding.
Which of the following is a false statement about absolute and comparative advantage?
a. Comparative advantage is the basis for gains from trade.
b. It is possible for one country to have the absolute advantage in all goods.
c. It is possible for one country to have the comparative advantage in all goods.
d. To find comparative advantage, you need to consider opportunity cost.
e. All of these statements are true.
c. It is possible for one country to have the comparative advantage in all goods.
The gains from trade are:
a. limited to trade between nations with similar levels of wealth.
b. always based on different wage rates between nations.
c. a result of more efficient resource allocation.
d. based on the principle of absolute advantage.
e. none of the above
c. a result of more efficient resource allocation.
Which of the following would not tend to lower the price of VCRs?
a. decreasing price of DVD players
b. increasing price of video cassettes
c. improvement in VCR production technology
d. reduced price of raw materials used in making VCRs
e. increasing price of pay-per-view movies on cable TV
e. increasing price of pay-per-view movies on cable TV
In a market economy, the allocation of the quantity supplied of any good among demanders is determined by:
a. the needs of the individuals.
b. the sellers.
c. the market price.
d. government regulations.
e. a random process.
(On the EXAM)
c. the market price.
Milk can be used to make yogurt or cheese. Other things equal, if consumers start demanding more yogurt:
a. the price of milk will fall.
b. less milk will be used in cheese and more will be used in yogurt.
c. the supply of milk will decrease.
d. the price of cheese will fall.
e. all of the above.
b. less milk will be used in cheese and more will be used in yogurt.
The price elasticity of demand:
a. is determined by the Federal Reserve Bank at a monthly meeting.
b. only works well in competitive markets.
c. intersects with the price elasticity of supply to determine the market equilibrium.
d. is equal to the slope of the demand curve.
e. varies from one point to another on a typical demand curve.
(On the EXAM)
e. varies from one point to another on a typical demand curve.
Which of the following statements is true?
a. The elasticity of demand for a product cannot change over time.
b. Elasticity is useful in theory but cannot be measured in real life.
c. The elasticity of demand will be larger if there are good substitutes available.
d. If I can’t live without the product, my demand will be elastic.
e. none of these are true
(On the EXAM)
c. The elasticity of demand will be larger if there are good substitutes available.
A firm’s total cost is $10,000. Its variable cost is $5,500. What is the firm’s fixed cost?
a. $2.22 b. $3,500 c. $4,500 d. $5,500 e. none of the above
c. $4,500
Total cost = variable cost + fixed cost
Which of the following is a correct definition of marginal cost (MC)?
a. It is the added cost that results from hiring one more employee.
b. It is the increase in the average cost that results from producing one more unit of a good.
c. It is the decrease in profits that results from selling another unit of a good.
d. It is the cost per unit of a good produced – i.e., total cost divided by quantity.
e. It is the added cost that results from producing one more unit of a good.
(On the EXAM)
e. It is the added cost that results from producing one more unit of a good.
A firm will shut down if:
a. P > AVC at all levels of output.
b. P < AVC at all levels of output.
c. AVC > AFC at all levels of output.
d. TR > TC at all levels of output.
e. P < TVC at all levels of output.
(On the EXAM)
b. P < AVC at all levels of output.
A negative externality exists when:
a. Jack buys a good from Bill, and this makes Bill worse off.
b. Jack buys a good from Bill, and this makes Jack worse off.
c. Jack buys a good from Bill, and this makes Todd better off.
d. Jack buys a good from Bill, and this makes both of them worse off.
e. Jack buys a good
from Bill, and this makes Todd worse off.
(On the EXAM)
e. Jack buys a good from Bill, and this makes Todd worse off.
Everything else the same, if the price level in Japan rises relative to the price level in the U.S:
a. the supply of dollars and the demand for yen in the foreign exchange market will decrease.
b. the supply of dollars and the demand for yen in the foreign exchange market will increase.
c. the demand for dollars and the supply of yen in the foreign exchange market will decrease.
d. the yen will appreciate.
e. the dollar will depreciate.
(On the EXAM)
e. the dollar will depreciate.
Hannah runs a manicuring shop. Currently, her shop provides 50 manicures per day, and the shop’s daily total cost (TC) is $600. If Hannah decides to provide 25 more manicures per day, the total cost will rise by $75 per day. If Hannah does decide to increase production by this much, what will the shop’s daily average total cost (ATC) be?
a. $12.00 b. $3.00 c. $8.00 d. $9.00 e. $13.50
d. $9.00
50+25=75
600+75 = 675
675/75 = 9
If Ross decides to ride his bike this afternoon, he will miss his favorite television show, and he won’t have time to study for his economics test. If Ross doesn’t ride his bike, he’ll choose to watch the television show instead. (He cannot both watch television and study for the test.) Ross’s opportunity cost of riding the bike is:
a. the value to Ross of watching the television show.
b. the value to Ross of studying for the test.
c. the value of watching the television show plus the value of studying for the test.
d. the value of watching the television show minus the value of studying for the test.
e. the value to Ross of riding his bike minus the value of watching the television show.
(On the EXAM)
c. the value of watching the television show plus the value of studying for the test.
d. the value of watching the
The opportunity cost of purchasing an item is:
a. the number of hours needed to earn money to buy it.
b. the next best thing you could have done with the time and money spent.
c. always less than the dollar value of the item.
d. always equal to the dollar value of the item.
e. just the time required to buy it.
(On the EXAM)
b. the next best thing you could have done with the time and money spent.
Alternative Outputs from One Day of Labor
Wheat (in bushels) Textiles (in yards)
United States 12 3
Great Britain 3 12
According to the table above, the United States:
a. has an absolute advantage over Great Britain in the production of textiles.
b. has an absolute advantage over Great Britain in the production of wheat.
c. has a comparative advantage in the production of textiles.
d. should export textiles to Great Britain.
e. none of the above
b. has an absolute advantage over Great Britain in the production of wheat.
Perfume (bottles) Cloth (yards)
Nancy 20 15
Roger 24 12
The table above shows how much each of two people can produce in 40 hours. (For example, Nancy can produce 20 bottles of perfume in 40 hours.) For Roger, what is the opportunity cost of producing 1 bottle of perfume?
a. 3 yards of cloth b. 2 yards of cloth c. 1 yard of cloth d. 1/3 yards of cloth e. 1/2 yards of cloth
e. 1/2 yards of cloth
12/24 = 1/2 cloth
Most residents of Los Angeles think sushi and sashimi are very similar foods. What effect will an increase in the price of sushi have on the demand curve for sashimi in Los Angeles?
a. there will be a movement down the sashimi demand curve b. the sashimi demand curve will not be affected c. there will be a movement up the sashimi demand curve d. the sashimi demand curve will shift to the right e. the sashimi demand curve will shift to the left
d. the sashimi demand curve will shift to the right
Economists can be college professors or business analysts. If there is an increase in businesses’ need for economic analysis:
a. the wage of economists will tend to decrease. b. colleges will have to pay less money to hire economists as professors. c. more economists will decide to become professors. d. fewer economists will decide to become business analysts. e. All of the above.
e. All of the above.
In a market economy:
a. resources are distributed equally across the all possible uses.
b. resources move to higher valued uses in response to changes in price.
c. resource usage is independent of the price.
d. most resources are distributed by the government.
e. all of the above.
b. resources move to higher valued uses in response to changes in price.
At a price of $4.50/pound, people buy 55 pounds of chocolate cream candy. At a price of $5.50/pound, people buy 45 pounds of chocolate cream candy. What is the arc elasticity of demand for chocolate cream candy in this price range?
a. 1.0 b. 10.0 c. 0.1 d. 0.67 e. none of the above
a. 1.0
At a price of $9.50/pound, people buy 45 pounds of lamb. At a price of $10.50/pound, people buy 35 pounds of lamb. What is the arc elasticity of demand for lamb in this price range?
a. 1.0 b. 2.5 c. 0.4 d. 3.0 e. none of the above
b. 2.5