question
The price elasticity of supply for the Hope Diamond is zero because there is only one. Therefore, the supply curve for the Hope Diamond is:
answer
perfectly inelastic
question
The market equilibrium is only efficient if:
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all relevant costs and benefits are reflected in the market supply and demand curves
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A firm earns a normal profit when its:
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economic profit is zero
question
Which of the following will cause an increase in market supply?
answer
a technological innovation that lowers the marginal cost of producing the good
question
Suppose two demand curves intersect and so have a point in common. At that point, demand shown by the steeper curve will be ____________ than the flatter curve.
answer
less elastic than
question
If the price of cheese falls by 1% and the quantity demanded rises by 3%, then the price elasticity of demand for cheese is equal to:
answer
3
question
The tendency for consumers to purchase more of a good or service as its price falls is captured by:
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the law of demand
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On a given linear demand curve, as price increases demand becomes:
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more elastic
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To increase total revenue, ______ demand should lower price, and firms with ________ demand should increase price.
answer
elastic; inelastic
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A demand curve that is drawn as a vertical line has a price elasticity of demand equal to:
answer
0
question
Which of the following would be considered a factor of production in the provision of bus service?
answer
bus drivers
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One difference between the long run and the short run in a perfectly competitive industry is that:
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firms necessarily earn zero economic profit in the long run but may earn positive or negative economic profit in the short run
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In general, when the price of a fixed factor of production increases:
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the profit maximizing level of output does not change
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If the absolute value of the price elasticity of demand for cell phone service is 3, then if the price of cell phone service increases by 1%, quantity demanded would:
answer
decrease by 3%
question
When the price of hot dogs is $1.50 each, 500 hot dogs are sold every day. After the price falls to $1.35 each, 510 hot dogs are sold every day. At the original price, what is the price elasticity of demand for hot dogs?
answer
0.2
question
If a 10% decrease in price for a good results in a 20% increase in quantity demanded, the price elasticity of demand is:
answer
2
question
Which of the following is most likely to be a fixed factor of production at a pizza restaurant?
answer
the size of the seating area
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A firm should shut down if its total revenue is less than its _______ even when the firm produces the level of output at which the price equals marginal cost.
answer
variable cost
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The price elasticity of demand is a measure of:
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the change in quantity demanded of a good that results from a change in its price
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Demand tends to be ______ in the short run than in the long run.
answer
less elastic
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If the absolute value of slope of the demand curve is 2.5, price is $6 per unit, and the quantity demanded is 8 units, then the price elasticity of demand is:
answer
0.3
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Suppose a 10% increase in the price of aspirin leads to a 5% decrease in the quantity demanded of aspirin. The demand for aspirin is:
answer
inelastic
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One assumption of the perfectly competitive model is free entry and exit. This assumption most directly leads to the implication that:
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positive economic profit is only possible in the short run
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Assume that the production technology required to produce goods X and Y is very similar. If a firm that is producing good X notices that the market price of good Y is rising, it will:
answer
shift into producing good Y
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Which of the following is a defining characteristic of all perfectly competitive markets?
answer
All firms sell the same standardized product
question
If a 1% increase in the price of oranges leads to a 5% increase in the quantity supplied, the price elasticity for the supply of oranges is:
answer
5
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One implication of the shape of the demand curve facing a perfectly competitive firm is that:
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if the firm increases its price above the market price, it will earn zero revenue
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A rational seller will sell another unit of output:
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if the cost of making another unit is less than the revenue gained from selling another unit
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If the cross-price elasticity of demand between blueberries and yogurt is negative, then the two goods are:
answer
complements
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Economic theory assumes that a firm's goal is to:
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maximize its economic profit
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In general, perfectly competitive firms maximize their profit by producing the level of output at which:
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marginal cost equals price
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Mary Jane is willing to babysit for $6 an hour. Her neighbor has asked her to babysit for $8 an hour. Assuming Mary Jane accepts the offer:
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her economic rent will be $2 per hour
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Adam Smith coined the term "invisible hand" to describe the process by which the actions of independent, self-interested buyers and sellers will:
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often lead to the most efficient allocation of resources
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A firm that produces a good with many substitutes will most likely find that:
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lowering its price will increase total revenue
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The long run is best defined as:
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a period of time sufficiently long that all factors of production are variable
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If the percentage change in the price of a good is equal to the percentage change in the quantity demanded of that good, then the demand for that good is:
answer
unit elastic
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According to the law of demand, when the price of shoes _____ people will consume ______ shoes.
answer
falls; more
question
The role that prices play in distributing scarce goods and services to those consumers who value them the most highly is known as the _______ function of price.
answer
rationing
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An increase in consumers' demand for espresso will lead to an increase in _____, while an increase in the number of firms producing espresso will lead to an:
answer
quantity supplied; increase in supply
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The price elasticity of demand equals 1:
answer
at the midpoint of a straight-line demand curve
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Suppose all firms in a perfectly competitive industry are earning an economic profit. One would expect that, over time, the number of firms in the industry will ______ and the market price will ________.
answer
rise; fall
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When the price of a perfectly competitive firm's output rises:
answer
the firm will produce more
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Individual supply curves generally slope _______ because ________.
answer
upward; of increasing opportunity costs
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As one moves down along a linear demand curve (i.e., from high price, low quantity pairs to low price, high quantity pairs), demand:
answer
becomes less elastic
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Suppose 30 employee-hours can produce 50 units of output. Assuming the law of diminishing marginal returns is present, to produce 100 units of output would require:
answer
more than 30 additional employee-hours
question
The championship game will be held next weekend in your college's 40,000-seat stadium. The supply of tickets to the game:
answer
is perfectly inelastic
question
If consumers can easily switch to a close substitute when the price of a good increases, demand for that good is likely to be:
answer
elastic
question
When Acme Dynamite produces 250 units of output, its variable cost is $2,000, and its fixed cost is $500. It sells each unit of output for $25. When Acme Dynamite produces 250 units of output, its profit is:
answer
$3,750