AP Microeconomics : Competition

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Microeconomics

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Example Questions

Example Question #31 : Competition

Use the following table to answer the question below:

Units

Total Variable Cost

Price

1

10

20

2

18

19

3

24

18

4

28

17

5

30

16

6

33

15

7

38

14

8

44

13

9

52

12

10

61

11

Consider the above cost and price schedule for a theoretical firm with fixed costs of 30. How many units will this firm produce and sell on the marketplace?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

In any market structure, firms will produce where marginal revenue = marginal cost. You can use total variable cost and price to deduce both of these figures for this firm (fixed costs are not relevant in the production decision).

Units

Total Variable Cost

MC

Price

MR

1

10

10

20

20

2

18

8

19

18

3

24

6

18

16

4

28

4

17

14

5

30

2

16

12

6

33

3

15

10

7

38

5

14

8

8

44

6

13

6

9

52

8

12

4

10

61

9

11

2

Example Question #32 : Competition

Use the following table to answer the question below:

Units

Total Variable Cost

Price

1

10

20

2

18

19

3

24

18

4

28

17

5

30

16

6

33

15

7

38

14

8

44

13

9

52

12

10

61

11

Above is a portion of the cost structure for a theoretical firm with total fixed costs of 30. Which of the following can you say about this portion of the firm's cost structure?

Possible Answers:

Decreasing returns to scale

Increasing returns to scale

None of the other answers

Constant returns to scale

Correct answer:

Increasing returns to scale

Explanation:

The firm's average total costs are decreasing throughout this range. Therefore, there are increasing returns to scale within this range.

Units

Total Variable Cost

Total Cost

Avg. Cost

1

10

40

40

2

18

48

24

3

24

54

18

4

28

58

14.5

5

30

60

12

6

33

63

10.5

7

38

68

9.7

8

44

74

9.25

9

52

82

9.11

10

61

91

9.1

Example Question #33 : Competition

Consider the following scenario: Alex and Carl both make juice in their homes. Each week, Alex can make either 10 gallons of apple juice or 5 gallons of orange juice. Meanwhile, Carl, can make either 3 gallons of apple juice or 4 gallons of orange juice. 

What does it cost Alex to produce 1 gallon of apple juice?

Possible Answers:

Cannot be determined

 gallons of orange juice

 gallon of orange jucie

 gallon of orange juice

 gallon of orange juice

Correct answer:

 gallon of orange juice

Explanation:

This question refers to Alex's opportunity cost of producing apple juice. If he specialized completely in apple juice he could make twice as much as if he specialized completely in orange juice. Therefore, each gallon of apple juice costs him 1/2 gallon of foregone production in orange juice.

Example Question #34 : Competition

Consider the following scenario: Alex and Carl both make juice in their homes. Each week, Alex can make either 10 gallons of apple juice or 5 gallons of orange juice. Meanwhile, Carl, can make either 3 gallons of apple juice or 4 gallons of orange juice. 

Based on the above, what must be the case?

Possible Answers:

Alex has an absolute advantage in making apple juice but not in making orange juice.

Alex has a comparative advantage in making apple juice, Carl has a comparative advantage in making orange juice

Carl has an absolute advantage in making both apple juice and orange juice.

Alex has a comparative advantage in making orange juice, Carl has a comparative advantage in making apple juice

Correct answer:

Alex has a comparative advantage in making apple juice, Carl has a comparative advantage in making orange juice

Explanation:

If they both produce only one type of juice, Alex can produce more for both apple juice and orange juice. Therefore he has an absolute advantage in for both and neither of the answers dealing with absolute advantage fit.

Let's look at Alex and Carl's relative cost of producing each juice:

Opportunity cost to Alex of producing:

Apple juice - 1/2 gallon orange juice

Orange Juice - 2 gallons apple juice

Opportunity cost to Carl of producing:

Apple juice - 4/3 gallon of orange juice

Orange juice - 3/4 gallon of apple juice

While Alex is more efficient at producing both types of juice from an absolute perspective, it costs him 2 gallons of apple juice to produce 1 gallon of orange juice, compared to Carl, who forgoes only 3/4 gallon of apple juice to produce a gallon of orange juice. Carl has the comparative advantage in producing orange juice. (Alex has the comparative advantage in apple juice, 1/2 gallon vs. 4/3 gallons.)

Example Question #35 : Competition

Suppose the market for acoustic guitars is perfectly competitive and in equilibrium. What would happen to the equilibrium price and quantity if the price of electric guitars were to fall substantially?

Possible Answers:

Cannot determine

Price decreases, Quantity decreases

Price increases, Quantity decreases

Price decreases, Quantity increases

Price increases, Quantity increases

Correct answer:

Price decreases, Quantity decreases

Explanation:

Electric guitars are a likely substitute for acoustic guitars. If the price of electric guitars goes down, more consumers are likely to buy them instead of acoustic and fewer acoustic guitars will be demanded at any price.

This is an inward shift of the demand curve, which results in a lower equilibrium price and quantity when you graph it.

Example Question #31 : Perfectly Competitive Output Markets

Suppose the market for acoustic guitars is perfectly competitive and in equilibrium. What would happen to the equilibrium price and quantity if a number of acoustic guitars makers dropped out of the market to make other instruments instead?

Possible Answers:

Price decrease, Quantity increase

Cannot determine

Price increase, Quantity increase

Price decrease, Quantity decrease

Price increase, Quantity decrease

Correct answer:

Price increase, Quantity decrease

Explanation:

The cost structure of the remaining acoustic guitar producers would not change, but with fewer sellers, there would be fewer guitars available at any given price.

This is an inward shift of the supply curve, if you graph this, you can see it results in a higher equilibrium price and lower quantity.

Example Question #32 : Perfectly Competitive Output Markets

There are no toll charges for driving on many urban freeways during rush hour. The resulting congestion is very much like an economic shortage. What is the best explanation for how this shortage comes about?

Possible Answers:

A price ceiling

Imperfect information

High transaction costs

A price floor

Correct answer:

A price ceiling

Explanation:

Especially during rush hour, the market for space on a freeway is comparable to many other competitive markets for goods and services., with a downward sloping demand curve. While more space can be built in the long-run, in the short-run we have a vertical supply curve that indicates fixed supply.

If you draw this out, you can see that the market clearing price is above zero. By not charging a toll, the authority on this road has effectively set a price of zero, or a price ceiling. The quantity of space demanded on the peak hour roadway is thus limited only by the number of drivers in the area (who are able and willing to pay other costs of driving, including time wasted in traffic). The difference in the quantities demanded and supplied is the shortage.

Example Question #33 : Perfectly Competitive Output Markets

The city council passes an ordinance requiring apartment buildings in a dense urban area to provide one off-street parking space per unit. All else equal, what is the likely effect on the level of rents in the area and the rate of occupancy?

Possible Answers:

Cannot determine

Rents decrease, Occupancy decreases

Rents increase, Occupancy increases

Rents increase, Occupancy decreases

Rents decrease, Occupancy increases

Correct answer:

Rents increase, Occupancy decreases

Explanation:

The provision of an off-street parking space for every unit would be an added cost (a significant cost in a dense urban area) for landlords. This is effectively an inward shift in supply.

The result would be generally higher rents and a lower occupancy rate.

Example Question #34 : Perfectly Competitive Output Markets

Assume the firm operates in the short-run. Use the following chart for questions 1-5:

 

Units

Total Revenue

Total cost

0

0

15

1

11

18

2

20

23

3

27

30

4

32

39

5

36

50

6

39

62

7

39

75

What is the fixed cost of the firm?

Possible Answers:

18

62

0

3

15

Correct answer:

15

Explanation:

The fixed costs can be determined by looking at the costs for the firm when no units are being produced. These costs always remain with or without production. This is true only in the short run, as in the long run there are no fixed costs. 

Example Question #35 : Perfectly Competitive Output Markets

Assume the firm operates in the short-run. Use the following chart for questions 1-5:

 

Units

Total Revenue

Total cost

0

0

15

1

11

18

2

20

23

3

27

30

4

32

39

5

36

50

6

39

62

7

39

75

The profit maximizing level of output for this firm is:

Possible Answers:

1

2

4

Firm would shut down

3

Correct answer:

3

Explanation:

The profit maximizing point is where marginal revenue equals marginal cost (MR=MC). At 3 units of production, the marginal revenue is 7 (27-20 = 7) and the marginal cost is 7 (30-23 = 7). Therefore, 3 units is the profit maximizing level. 

 

Note that the profit maximizing point does not have to be a point where the firm makes a positive profit. Since the firm in this example never has TR exceed TC, it will not generate a positive profit. However, the profit maximizing point can also be the point where the firm makes the least negative profit.   A firm will produce goods in the short run as long as the marginal revenue exceeds the average variable cost, which it does in this scenario. This means that the firm will produce goods until it's obligations are up and it can leave the market in the long run.

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