AP Microeconomics : Perfectly Competitive Output Markets

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Microeconomics

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Example Questions

Example Question #66 : Competition

Which of the following is the best example of consumer surplus?

Possible Answers:

A hungry man pays $3 for a slice of pizza, but would have gladly paid $5 for it.

None of the other answers.

A pizzeria has a marginal cost of producing a pizza pie of $5 and sells it for $7.

A pizza worker who is willing to accept a job for $9 per hour is offered $10 per hour.

Because of a special discount, a customer finds that the price of pizza has been reduced by 25% for the day.

Correct answer:

A hungry man pays $3 for a slice of pizza, but would have gladly paid $5 for it.

Explanation:

Consumer surplus is the diffence between what an individual is willing to pay for a good and its market price. Consumer surplus occurs when the consumer's willingness to pay is higher than the good's market price, as in the example where the hungry man pays $3 for a slice of pizza, but would have gladly paid $5 for it.

Example Question #67 : Competition

Which of the following can cause a pizzeria's cost curves to shift upward?

Possible Answers:

A decrease in wages

A decrease in the pizzeria's output

An increase in the pizzeria's prices

An increase in the pizzeria's output

An increase in the price of cheese

Correct answer:

An increase in the price of cheese

Explanation:

The only factor that would shift the pizzeria's cost upward is an increase in the price of cheese, one of the pizzeria's inputs. A decrease in wages would shift the cost curve upward. Changes to the pizzeria's output or prices would not shift the pizzeria's cost curve in any direction.

Example Question #68 : Competition

If an increase in the price of pizza causes a decrease in the demand for soda, then the two goods are:

Possible Answers:

luxury goods

complementary goods

normal goods

giffen goods

substitute goods

Correct answer:

complementary goods

Explanation:

If an increase in the price of pizza causes a decrease in the demand for soda, then the two goods are complementary goods, or goods that are typically consumed together. Thus, the two goods' demand are affected by the demand of the other good. As the price of pizza increases, its demand will likely decrease. The decrease in demand for pizza causes a decrease in demand for soda because the two goods are complementary.

Example Question #69 : Competition

If the price of hamburgers drops from $5 to $4 and the quantity demanded increases from 100 to 110, then the demand for movie tickets is:

Possible Answers:

perfectly inelastic

unit elastic

elastic

inelastic

perfectly elastic

Correct answer:

inelastic

Explanation:

 

Price elasticity of demand is the measure of the responsiveness of the quantity demanded of a good to the change in its price. Elasticity is calculated by the percentage change in quantity demanded divided by the percentage change in price. In this case, the price elasticity demand of movie tickets is 0.5 (10% change in quantity demanded divided by 20% change in price). If a good's elasticity is less than 1, it is considered inelastic.

 

Example Question #70 : Competition

Which of the following is true of the marginal cost of providing a public good to one additional individual?

Possible Answers:

It decreases as the number of goods provided increases.

It is equal to zero.

It is negative.

It is positive.

It increases as the number of goods provided increases.

Correct answer:

It is equal to zero.

Explanation:

A pure public good is non-rival, which means that use by one individual does not reduce its availability to others, and non-excludable, which means that an individual cannot be prevented from consuming the good. Because of its non-rivalrous nature, a public good's consumption has zero marginal cost. A lighthouse is a classic example of a public good. An additional person's use of the lighthouse does not have any associated marginal cost, since its use is non-rivalrous.

Example Question #71 : Competition

Which of the following is an example of a private good?

Possible Answers:

A free blog

A public park

A bicycle

Public radio

Fireworks

Correct answer:

A bicycle

Explanation:

A private good is rivalrous, which means that one person's use of the good reduces the availability of the good for others, and excludable, which means that individuals can be effectively excluded from consuming the good. The only choice that fits both descriptions is the bicycle.

Example Question #72 : Competition

An oligopolistic industry would most likely have

Possible Answers:

substantial barriers to entry

no barriers to entry

a large number of firms

one firm with no close rivals

price-taking behavior

Correct answer:

substantial barriers to entry

Explanation:

An oligopolistic industry is dominated by a small number of firms. Oligopolies are typically caused by significant barriers to entry, which enable a few firms to dominate the industry.

Example Question #73 : Competition

The market for pizza is currently in equilibrium. If the demand for pizza increases and its supply decreases, what happens to the price and quantity of pizza?

Possible Answers:

Price increases but the change in quantity is ambiguous

Quantity increases but the change in price is ambiguous

Price and quantity both decrease

The change in price and quantity is ambiguous

Price and quantity both increase

Correct answer:

Price increases but the change in quantity is ambiguous

Explanation:

As its supply decreases and its demand increases, the price of pizza will definitely increase. However, the change in quantity is ambiguous and depends on which effect is stronger.

Example Question #74 : Competition

Which of the following is an example of a public good?

Possible Answers:

A neighborhood park

A laptop

Satellite TV

A truck

A movie theatre

Correct answer:

A neighborhood park

Explanation:

A public good is non-rival, which means that one person's consumption of a good does not affect another person's consumption of the good, and non-excludable, which means that a person cannot be prevented from consuming the good. The only answer that is non-rival and non-exculdable is the neighborhood park.

Example Question #75 : Competition

Which of the following is NOT a property of perfectly competitive markets?

Possible Answers:

The goods are nearly identical.

The barriers to entry are low.

At market equilibrium, price is greater than marginal revenue.

There are a large number of firms in the market.

In the long run, firms are expected to earn no profits.

Correct answer:

At market equilibrium, price is greater than marginal revenue.

Explanation:

When a a perfectly competitive market is in equilibrium, the marginal revenue curve is a horizontal line at the price level in contrast to monopolies, where the marginal revenue is below price.

All of the other answer choices are key characteristics of perfectly competitive markets.

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