BINARY CHOICE QUESTIONS:
Problem 1) Regardless of whether a firm is a monopolist or produces in a perfectly competitive market, the profit maximizing firm will produce more output if the marginal revenue from selling the last unit of output exceeds the marginal cost of producing the last unit of output. This statement is
a. true.
b. false.
Problem 2) A perfectly competitive firm’s marginal revenue curve _________.
a. is horizontal
b. has a positive slope
Problem 3) When average fixed costs are falling, average total cost must also be falling. This statement is _______.
a. true
b. false
Problem 4) A monopolist is a price ____, while a firm in a perfectly competitive market is a price _____.
a. taker, maker
b. maker, taker
Problem 5) Consider a person who consumes two goods. The indifference curves are smooth and bowed inward. Suppose that the price of one of the goods decreases while the price of the other good and the level of income stay constant. Is the following statement true or false? “Since the income has not changed, the income effect is zero.”
a. True.
b. False.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
Problem 6) Suppose Derek only buys coffee and sugar packets. For each cup of coffee he buys, he always buys 2 sugar packets. That is, 2 sugar packets are a perfect complement to a cup of coffee. Which of the following could be an optimal consumption bundle?
a. 10 packs of sugar and 4 cups of coffee.
b. 1 cup of coffee and 1 pack of sugar.
c. 8 packs of sugar and 4 cups of coffee.
d. 2 packs of sugar and 2 cups of coffee.
e. none of the above.
Problem 7) The above figure represents an increase in income, shifting the budget line from BL1 to BL2. From this graph we can tell that good X is _____ and good Y is _______.
a. normal; inferior
b. normal; normal
c. inferior; normal
d. inferior; inferior
e. there is not enough information to answer this question.
Please use the following table to answer the next three questions.
# of workers Quantity Total Cost
0 0 400
1 10 420
2 25 430
3 35 450
4 40 480
Problem 8) Suppose that Lego, a toy firm, is in a perfectly competitive market. Lego’s cost schedule is given above. If Lego produces 10 toys, what is its average fixed cost?
a. $2
b. $20
c. $40
d. $42
e. $400
Problem 9) Suppose that in the short run the market equilibrium price of toys is $6, what is the profit maximizing number of toys?
a. 0
b. 10
c. 25
d. 40
e. none of the above.
Problem 10) Lego’s production decision is to _______.
a. continue to produce in both the short run and the long run
b. continue to produce in the short run and exit in the long run
c. continue to produce in the long run and shut down in the short run
d. shut down in the short run and exit in the long run
e. There is not enough information given to answer this question.
Problem 11) A monopolist has no fixed costs and its marginal cost is equal to zero for all levels of output. As a result, he’ll choose a price where the elasticity of demand will be (in absolute value) _________.
a. greater than 1
b. 1
c. less than 1 and greater than 0
d. 0
e. none of the above answers are correct
Problem 12) Mark’s income is $88 and the above figure shows his budget line. From this we know that the price of butter is ______ per pound and the price of milk is ______ per gallon.
a. $8; $11
b. $11; $8
c. $8; $8
d. $11; $11
e. none of the above
Problem 13) Teddy buys only chocolate chip cookies and hot chocolate, and spends all of his income on the two items. Suppose that Teddy’s marginal utility per dollar spent on cookies exceeds that spent on hot chocolate. Teddy can make himself better off if he buys _____.
a. fewer cookies and more hot chocolate
b. an equal amount of cookies and hot chocolate
c. only hot chocolate
d. more cookies and less hot chocolate
e. only cookies
Problem 14) Sammy considers 1 wooden pencil to be a perfect substitute for 1 mechanical pencil. The price of 1 wooden pencil is $2, and the price of 1 mechanical pencil is $3. Sammy has an income of $18. What is Sammy’s optimal consumption bundle?
a. 6 wooden pencils and 3 mechanical pencils.
b. 0 wooden pencils and 6 mechanical pencils.
c. 6 wooden pencils and 2 mechanical pencils.
d. 9 wooden pencils and 0 mechanical pencils.
e. none of the above.
Problem 15) Say that you go to a buffet-style restaurant in Madison. You pay $11 per meal, and it is “all-you-can eat”. Suppose that the first plate of food you eat is very good. On a scale of ten you would give it a ten. Now your hunger has been somewhat tamed, but you get another full plate of food. Since you're not as hungry, your enjoyment rates at a seven at best. Most people would stop before their utility drops even more, but say you go back to eat a third full plate of food and your utility drops even more to a score of three. If you kept eating, you would eventually reach a point at which your eating makes you sick, providing dissatisfaction, or 'dis-utility'.
This is an example of ______.
a. the law of diminishing utility
b. the law of diminishing marginal utility
c. consumption optimization
d. a non-optimal consumption choice
e. none of the above
Please use the following information to answer the next three questions.
Consider the market for cars. Suppose that the market for cars is perfectly competitive and the industry is a constant cost industry. The market demand is given by QD = 100 - P. The total cost function of an individual firm is given by TC = 30 + 20Q + 2Q2 and the marginal cost function is given by MC = 20 + 4Q.
Problem 16) In the short run, suppose that the market equilibrium price is equal to $36. Please find the profit maximizing number of cars that a representative firm produces.
a. 1 car
b. 2 cars
c. 3 cars
d. 4 cars
e. 5 cars
Problem 17) Please find the representative firm’s supply function in the short run.
a. Q = 20 + 4P , if the market price is above or equal to 20, otherwise Q=0.
b. Q = -5 + (1/4)P , if the market price is above or equal to 20, otherwise Q=0.
c. Q = 5 – (1/4)P , if the market price is above or equal to 36, otherwise Q=0.
d. Q = -5 + (1/4)P , if the market price is above or equal to 36, otherwise Q=0.
e. Q = -5 + 4P , if the market price is above or equal to 20, otherwise Q=0.
Problem 18) Consider the car market at its long run equilibrium. Now, suppose that there is a change in consumers’ preferences for cars so that the market demand becomes QD = 120 - P. Then, in the new long run equilibrium, relative to the initial long run equilibrium, there are ______ firms in the market and each firm produces ______ output, and the quantity traded in the market is _______.
a. more, less, the same
b. more, more, greater
c. more, the same, greater
d. more, less, greater
e. less, more, greater
Problem 19) Crossing, or intersecting, indifference curves would suggest that
a. it is possible to demonstrate that a consumer prefer less to more.
b. consumers are likely to prefer a redistribution of income from rich to poor.
c. individuals have different tastes and preferences.
d. it is possible to demonstrate that all standard properties of indifference curves are typically satisfied.
e. the marginal rate of substitution is constant along the indifference curve.
Please use the following graph to answer the next two questions.
Problem 20) A shift from BL1 to BL2 represents ________.
a. a decrease in income
b. a decrease in the price of good X
c. an increase in the price of good X
d. an increase in income
e. none of the above
Problem 21) In the above figure Ignacio consumes at point A when his budget line is given by BL1 and consumes at point B when his budget line is given by BL2. From this we can tell that
a. good X is inferior.
b. the law of demand has been violated.
c. good Y is normal.
d. all of the above.
e. none of the above.
Problem 22) Consider the market for popcorn and suppose that it is a perfectly competitive market. Suppose that the total cost function is given by TC=8+2Q2, and the marginal cost function is given by MC=4Q. The market demand function is P=40-QD. What is the long run equilibrium price in the popcorn market?
a. $8
b. $10
c. $12
d. $16
e. $20
Problem 23) Suppose that the industry for cola-flavored drinks is perfectly competitive. Assume that all the firms in the cola-flavored drinks industry, including Coca-Cola, have the same total cost function. Consider the industry at a short run equilibrium. At this short run equilibrium Coca-Cola is maximizing profits by producing 100 cans per day. Now suppose that Coca-Cola’s fixed costs unexpectedly increase while the other firms’ fixed costs do not change, and the market price remains constant. Then, in the short run, the new profit maximizing level of output for Coca-Cola ______.
a. is less than 100 cans
b. is still 100 cans
c. is more than 100 cans
d. is less than every other firm’s output level
e. There is not enough information given to answer this question.
Problem 24) Consider the perfectly competitive constant cost industry. When will new firms want to enter this industry in the long run?
a. When MR = MC for the existing firms in the industry.
b. Anytime the fixed cost of production decreases for a representative firm in the industry.
c. When there is a rightward shift in the demand curve.
d. When MR = ATC for the existing firms in the industry.
e. Both (b) and (c).
Problem 25) In the short run, all of the following are fixed costs of production except
a. buildings.
b. land.
c. electricity.
d. property taxes.
e.none of the above are fixed costs of production.
Problem 26) The following table below shows nominal prices of a particular good. Which of the following statements is true?
Year CPI Index Nominal price
1900 100 $10,000
1950 200 $8,000
2000 300 $12,000
a. The inflation-adjusted (real) price of the good increased from 1900 to 1950.
b. The inflation-adjusted (real) price of the good decreased from 1950 to 2000.
c. The inflation-adjusted (real) price of the good in 2000 is $6,000.
d. The inflation-adjusted (real) price of the good remained constant from 1950 to 2000.
e. None of the above
Problem 27) Say that when a firm triples all of its inputs, it doubles the amount of output it produces. Then this firm
a. Is experiencing increasing returns to scale over this region.
b. Is experiencing diminishing returns to scale over this region.
c. Has an upward sloping Long Run Average Total Cost Curve (LRATC) over this region.
d. Has a downward sloping Long Run Average Total Cost Curve (LRATC) over this region.
e. None of the above
The following graph shows the cost structure of XYZ company. Please use the graph to answer the next two questions.
Problem 28) At what level of output would marginal cost equal average variable cost?
a. 150
b. 200
c. 220
d. 300
e. It is impossible to tell from the information provided.
Problem 29) Over what output range would marginal cost be above average variable cost and below average total cost?
a. 150 to 200
b. 200 to 220
c. 220 to 300
d. 200 to 300
e. It is impossible to tell from the information provided.
Please use the following information to answer the next three questions:
A profit maximizing monopolist has cost function TC = 5 + 2Q. Demand in this market is given by the equation QD = 28 - P.
Problem 30) The monopolist will choose a quantity such that the marginal revenue is:
a. $0
b. $1
c. $2
d. $3
e. $4
Problem 31) The monopolist will set a price of:
a. $0
b. $10
c. $15
d. $20
e. $25
Problem 32) As a result, its profits will be:
a. $164
b. $196
c. $225
d. $256
e. $289
Problem 33) Constant returns to scale occur when, for example, _________.
a. the firm’s long-run average cost curve is falling as output increases
b. the firm’s output triples when its inputs are tripled
c. the marginal product of labor is falling as the amount of labor employed increases
d. the firm’s output triples when its inputs are doubled
e. none of the above
Problem 34) Suppose that Takeshi hires his 10th worker and output increases from 9 to 10 units. If average variable cost rose from $100 to $120, what is the marginal cost of the 10th unit of output?
a. $20
b. $100
c. $12
d. $300
e. None of the above
Problem 35) If a firm pays employees hourly and guarantees every employee 35 hours per week, how would the firm categorize its labor costs?
a. fixed
b. variable
c. marginal
d. fixed if each employee works no more than 35 hours per week
e. none of the above