Test 1 Flashcards
basic concern of economics
- to study the choices people make
- to use limited resources to produce goods and services to satisfy unlimited wants
economics is a
social science
when we are forced to make choices we are facing the concept of
scarcity
the existence of alternative uses of a resource implies that it is
scarce
a good for which the problem of scarcity does not exist
a free good
fundamental economic questions that every economic system must answer
what
how
for whom
opportunity cost
value of the best alternative forgone in making a choice
economic resources used in production are called
factors of production
3 types of factors of production
capital
labor
natural resources
capital is best described as
a factor of production that has itself been produced
human capital is
the set of acquired skills and abilities that workers bring to the production of goods and services
knowledge that can be applied to the production of goods and services is
technology
person who seeks to earn profits by finding ways to organize factors of production (and bear the risk) is called
an entrepreneur
an economy is said to have a comparative advantage if it
has the lowest cost for producing a particular good
the concept of comparative advantage is based on
relative opportunity costs
the idea that in an economy that is on the production possibility curve, as output for one good increases, the cost of additional units will get higher and higher is the
law of increasing opportunity cost
If all factors of production that are available for use under current market conditions are being utilized, the economy has
full employment
the process through which an economy’s production possibilities curve is shifted outward is
economic growth
demand is defined as
a schedule that shows how much will be purchased at various prices during a particular period assuming all other things are unchanged
a decrease in the price of eggs will result in
greater amount of eggs demanded
a shift in the demand curve to the right will
increase price and quantity
the primary difference between a change in demand and change in the quantity demanded is
change in quantity demanded is a movement along the demand curve, and change in demand is a shift in the demand curve
consumer preferences, prices of other goods, income, and demographic characteristics are
demand shifters
if people demand more of product A when the price of product B falls, then A and B are
complements