Deck 2: Economic Tools and Economics Systems

Question 1

The opportunity cost of going to college is best measured by the

A)cost of room and board
B)cost of tuition
C)cost of room and board plus tuition
D)income forgone by not working, plus tuition
E)income forgone by not working, plus tuition and room and board

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Upon graduating from high school you have a job offer which would provideyou with $20,000 in income for the coming year.You have also beenaccepted to Isaac and Avery college.Tuition for the coming year at I&Acollege is $15,000, room and board is $10,000 and you expect that bookswill cost you $2,000.What is the opportunity cost of attending I&Acollege?

A)$37,000
B)$27,000
C)$20,000
D)$32,000
E)$47,000

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Your opportunity cost of choosing a particular activity

A)can be easily and accurately calculated
B)cannot even be estimated
C)does not change over time
D)varies, depending on time and circumstances
E)is measured by the money you spend on the activity

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Suppose you have an hour before your next class starts.You can either reada book, get something to eat, or take a nap.The opportunity cost of gettingsomething to eat is

A)the cost of what you eat
B)the value of reading and sleeping
C)the loss of value from not reading or sleeping
D)the net benefit of sleeping for another hour
E)impossible to determine because the most preferred alternative is not known

Question 5

Opportunity cost is the difference between the benefits and the costs of achoice.

Question 6

The opportunity cost of going to college includes the costs of tuition, books,fees, and

A)nothing else
B)housing
C)housing and food
D)earnings forgone by not working full­time
E)housing, food, and earnings forgone by not working full­time

Question 7

The opportunity cost of an activity

A)depends on the individual's subjective values and opinions
B)is the same for everyone
C)must be calculated and known before undertaking that activity
D)is irrelevant to decision making
E)is not related to time

Question 8

A rational decision maker engages in an activity if that activity is moreattractive than the best alternative.

Question 9

Opportunity cost is always measured in dollar terms, rather than in terms ofreal goods and services.

Question 10

Which economic concept does the expression "time is money" reflect?

A)opportunity cost
B)specialization
C)market exchange
D)comparative advantage
E)efficiency

Question 11

The opportunity cost of college is the same for all students who arereceiving full­tuition scholarships.

Question 12

Opportunity cost exists because

A)technology is fixed at any point in time
B)the law of comparative advantage is working
C)resources are scarce but wants are unlimited
D)the value of lost opportunities varies from person to person
E)efficiency is measured by the monetary cost of an activity

Question 13

The opportunity cost of an activity is

A)zero if you choose the activity voluntarily
B)the amount of money spent on the activity
C)the value of the best alternative not chosen
D)the sum of benefits from all of the sacrificed alternatives
E)the difference between the benefits and the costs of that activity

Question 14

The Sultan of Brunei, one of the world's richest people, does not face theproblem of scarcity.

Question 15

If you enjoy playing golf, the opportunity cost of cleaning your room

A)is the same on sunny days as it is on rainy days
B)is greater on sunny days than it is on rainy days
C)is smaller on sunny days than it is on rainy days
D)does not change with the weather conditions
E)is equal to the opportunity cost of any other chore you have to do that day

Question 16

The term opportunity cost suggests that

A)in any exchange situation where one person gains, someone else must lose
B)not all individuals make the most of life's opportunities
C)executives do not always recognize opportunities for profit as quickly as they should
D)the only factor that is important in decision making is cost
E)because goods are scarce, in order to get some good you must give up some other good in return

Question 17

Suppose you have a choice of working full­time during the summer or goingfull­time to summer school.Summer tuition and books are $2,200.If youworked, you could make $7,000.Your rent is $1,000 for the summer,regardless of your choice.The opportunity cost of going to summer schoolis, therefore,

A)$2,200
B)$7,000
C)$8,000
D)$9,200
E)$10,200

Question 18

A test was scheduled for Monday morning, but you went to a party onSaturday night.If you hadn't attended the party, you could have studied forthe test or gone to a movie.Which of the following is true?

A)The opportunity cost of going to the movie is studying for the test.
B)The opportunity cost of going to the party is the movie.
C)The opportunity cost of going to the party is both the movie and the study time.
D)Because you could go to the party only that night but could go to a movie any time, the opportunity cost
Of the party is the study time.
E)From the above information, it's not possible to determine the opportunity cost of attending the party.

Question 19

The cost of attending college

A)is entirely monetary and consists of expenditures on tuition, books, transportation, and meals
B)is not monetary, but consists solely of forgone income
C)is the most valued alternative given up to attend college
D)is negligible for most people, because they really have no choice but to attend college
E)is the same whether you attend a public or a private college

Question 20

Opportunity cost is objective; therefore, its value does not change ascircumstances change.

Question 21

Suppose you have purchased a non­refundable plane ticket and, at the lastmoment, you cannot take the trip.You can, however, sell the ticket.If youpaid $700 for the ticket, the cost of sending the ticket to someone throughovernight mail is $20, and you spend $10 on a courier to get the ticket to thepost office for overnight delivery, what is the minimum you should acceptfor the ticket?

A)$700 because that is what the ticket cost.
B)$720 because that is the cost of the ticket and of getting it to the buyer.
C)$730 because that is the total cost of the ticket and getting it to the buyer.
D)More than $730, so that you can make a profit.
E)$30 because the $700 is a sunk cost.

Question 22

It is possible for one person to have a comparative advantage in theproduction of all products?

Question 23

A person who can produce more of a good than another person is said topossess a comparative advantage.

Question 24

Comparative advantage is

A)the ability of an individual to specialize and produce a greater amount of some good than can another
Individual
B)the number of units of one good given up in order to acquire something
C)the ability of an individual to produce a good at a lower opportunity cost than some other individual can
D)an expression for the amount of labor a particular individual needs to produce a fixed amount of capital
Goods
E)a reference to an individual having the greatest opportunity cost of producing the good and produces it
With the fewest resources

Question 25

Melissa is a self­employed lawyer who chooses a higher­priced restaurant 2miles from home over a cheaper restaurant 15 miles from home.Which ofthe following is the most likely explanation for her behavior?

A)The opportunity cost of her time is very low.
B)She doesn't take travel time into consideration.
C)She doesn't like to cook or doesn't know how.
D)The prices at the more expensive restaurant understate the opportunity cost of eating there.
E)The higher monetary cost of the more expensive restaurant is offset by the higher opportunity cost of
The lower­priced restaurant.

Question 26

A university should not disband its football team if it has already paid forthe stadium.

Question 27

Comparative advantage is based on opportunity costs.

Question 28

John takes 10 minutes to iron a shirt and 20 minutes to type a paper.Harrytakes 10 minutes to iron a shirt and 30 minutes to type a paper.Which of thefollowing statements is correct?

A)Harry has a comparative advantage in ironing.
B)Harry has a comparative advantage in typing.
C)Harry has an absolute advantage in typing.
D)Harry has an absolute advantage in ironing.
E)Neither can gain from specialization and exchange.

Question 29

If people specialize in producing those goods for which they possess acomparative advantage, then the economy as a whole can produce a greaterquantity of goods.

Question 30

Sunk costs

A)can only be measured in monetary terms
B)are opportunity costs
C)should influence a person's choice if that person is a marginal decision maker
D)lower the efficiency of production
E)should not be considered when making economic decisions

Question 31

The law of comparative advantage states that the person who shouldproduce a good is the person who

A)has the lowest opportunity cost of producing that good
B)can produce that good using the fewest resources
C)will produce that good using the most expensive resources
D)has the most desire for that good
E)has produced that good in the past

Question 32

It is impossible for one person to have a comparative advantage in all tasks.

Question 33

It is possible for one person to have an absolute advantage in two tasks anda comparative advantage in only one.

Question 34

It is possible for one person to have an absolute advantage in somethingeven if she has no comparative advantage in anything.

Question 35

If you and I agree to exchange four ginger snaps for one chocolate chipcookie, then it must be true that

A)we are both at least as well off as we were before
B)I am better off than I was before, but you are not
C)you are better off than you were before, but I am not
D)we are both better off than before
E)we are both worse off than before

Question 36

The opportunity cost of an activity is best measured

A)only by the monetary costs
B)by the number of alternative activities that were forgone
C)by the cost difference between the chosen activity and the next best alternative
D)by the value expected from the best alternative that is forgone
E)as the time wasted choosing among various activities

Question 37

The law of comparative advantage says that

A)the individual with the lowest opportunity cost of producing a particular good should produce it
B)comparative advantage exists only when one person has an absolute advantage in the production of two
Goods
C)whoever has a comparative advantage in producing a good also has an absolute advantage in producing
That good
D)whoever has an absolute advantage in producing a good also has a comparative advantage in producing
That good
E)gains from trade are possible only when one person has the comparative advantage in producing both
Goods

Question 38

Absolute advantage is based on opportunity cost.

Question 39

The opportunity cost of a particular activity

A)must be the same for everyone
B)is the value of all alternative activities that are forgone
C)has a maximum value equal to the minimum wage
D)varies from person to person
E)can usually be known with certainty

Question 40

The law of comparative advantage says that a person should produce a goodif she

A)has the greatest desire to consume that good
B)has the lowest opportunity cost of producing that good
C)has an absolute advantage in a related activity
D)has a comparative advantage in a related activity
E)is equally good at producing this good as someone else is

Question 41

In one week, Mohammed can knit 5 sweaters or bake 240 cookies.Theopportunity cost per sweater for Mohammed is

A)$240
B)240 cookies
C)48 sweaters
D)1/48 of a cookie
E)48 cookies

Question 42

If Robin has an absolute advantage in both gardening and baking whencompared to Robert, then

A)Robin cannot benefit by trading with Robert
B)Robin can benefit by specializing in gardening if Robert specializes in baking
C)Robin can benefit by specializing in baking if Robert specializes in gardening
D)Robin and Robert may benefit from trading, but there is insufficient information to determine who
Should specialize in what
E)neither Robin nor Robert can benefit from trading with the other

Question 43

Janis mows the lawn in 1 hour and types a paper in 1 hour.Kristen mowsthe lawn in 2 hours and types a paper in 1 hour.Which of the followingstatements is true?

A)Kristen has an absolute advantage in typing and a comparative advantage in mowing.
B)Janis has an absolute advantage in both activities and a comparative advantage in typing.
C)Janis has an absolute advantage in both activities and a comparative advantage in mowing.
D)The opportunity cost of mowing the lawn is greater for Kristen than it is for Janis.
E)Neither Janis nor Kristen would gain from specialization.

Question 44

If Daniel produces one pair of shoes in 4 hours and Sarah produces one pairof shoes in 3 hours, then

A)Sarah has a comparative advantage in shoemaking
B)Daniel has a comparative advantage in shoemaking
C)Sarah has an absolute and a comparative advantage in shoemaking
D)Daniel has an absolute and a comparative advantage in shoemaking
E)Sarah has an absolute advantage in shoemaking

Question 45

According to Exhibit 2­1, if Hans types one fewer page, how many loads oflaundry can he do in the time saved on typing?

A)12 loads
B)8 loads
C)3/2 of a load
D)2/3 of a load
E)it cannot be determined

Question 46

If Jeremy has an absolute advantage in cooking and Margaret has anabsolute advantage in cleaning, then

A)Jeremy has a comparative advantage in cooking, and Margaret has a comparative advantage in cleaning
B)Jeremy has a comparative advantage in cleaning, and Margaret has a comparative advantage in cooking
C)we can conclude nothing about comparative advantage
D)Jeremy has a comparative advantage in cooking, but we can conclude nothing about Margaret
E)Margaret has a comparative advantage in cleaning, but we can conclude nothing about Jeremy

Question 47

) According to Exhibit 2­1, if Maria does one fewer load of laundry, howmany pages can she type in the time saved on laundry?

A)4 pages
B)6 pages
C)2/3 of a page
D)3/2 of a page
E)it cannot be determined

Question 48

If Jason can wash a car in 20 minutes and wash a dog in 10 minutes, andMegan can wash a car in 15 minutes and wash a dog in 15 minutes, whichof the following statements is true?

A)The opportunity cost of washing a car is greater for Megan.
B)The opportunity cost of washing a car is one dog bath for Jason.
C)Megan could wash two cars in the time it takes to wash a dog.
D)Jason has both a comparative and an absolute advantage in washing a dog.
E)The opportunity cost of washing a dog is greater for Jason.

Question 49

In one week, Mohammed can knit 5 sweaters or bake 240 cookies.In oneweek, Tetah can knit 15 sweaters or bake 480 cookies.In this example,

A)Mohammed has the absolute and comparative advantage in both tasks
B)Tetah has the absolute and comparative advantage in both tasks
C)Mohammed has the absolute advantage in both tasks and the comparative advantage in knitting
Sweaters
D)Tetah has the absolute advantage in both tasks and the comparative advantage in knitting sweaters
E)Mohammed has the absolute advantage in both tasks and the comparative advantage in baking cookies

Question 50

Eileen has a comparative advantage over Jan in piano tuning but not in shoepolishing.Therefore,

A)Jan must have an absolute advantage in piano tuning
B)Eileen must have an absolute advantage in shoe polishing
C)Jan must have a lower opportunity cost of shoe polishing
D)Eileen must have an absolute advantage in shoe polishing and in piano tuning
E)Eileen must have an absolute advantage in piano tuning

Question 51

According to Exhibit 2­1, if Maria types one fewer page, how many loadsof laundry can she do in the time saved on typing?

A)4 loads
B)6 loads
C)2/3 of a load
D)3/2 of a load
E)it cannot be determined

Question 52

If Sam can chop up more carrots per minute than Joe can, then

A)Joe has an absolute advantage in carrot chopping
B)Joe must have a comparative advantage in carrot chopping
C)Sam has an absolute advantage in carrot chopping
D)Sam must have a comparative advantage in carrot chopping
E)we can conclude nothing about absolute advantage

Question 53

) According to Exhibit 2­1, if Hans does one fewer load of laundry, howmany pages can he type in the time saved on laundry?

A)12 pages
B)8 pages
C)3/2 of a page
D)2/3 of a page
E)it cannot be determined

Question 54

According to Exhibit 2­1, in any given amount of time,

A)Maria has an absolute and a comparative advantage in typing
B)Maria has an absolute and a comparative advantage in doing laundry
C)Maria has a comparative advantage in both typing and doing laundry
D)Hans has an absolute and a comparative advantage in typing
E)Hans has an absolute advantage in doing laundry

Question 55

If Monica has a comparative advantage in baking and George has acomparative advantage in sewing, then

A)Monica must have an absolute advantage in baking
B)Monica must have an absolute advantage in sewing
C)George must have an absolute advantage in baking
D)George must have an absolute advantage in sewing
E)we can conclude nothing about absolute advantage

Question 56

A country has an absolute advantage in the production of a good if thatcountry

A)can produce the good using fewer resources than another country would require
B)has the lowest opportunity cost of producing the good and can produce it with the fewest resources
C)has the lowest opportunity cost of producing the good regardless of whether it is produced with the
Fewest resources
D)has the greatest opportunity cost of producing the good regardless of whether it is produced with the
Fewest resources
E)has the greatest opportunity cost of producing the good and produces it with the fewest resources

Question 57

If Evan has an absolute advantage in cleaning and bookkeeping whencompared to Gloria, then

A)Evan must also have a comparative advantage in cleaning and bookkeeping
B)Evan must have a comparative advantage in cleaning
C)Evan must have a comparative advantage in bookkeeping
D)Gloria has a comparative advantage in neither activity
E)we can conclude nothing about comparative advantage

Question 58

According to Exhibit 2­1, Maria's opportunity cost of doing a load of laundryis

A)4 pages
B)6 pages
C)2/3 of a page
D)3/2 of a page
E)impossible to compute

Question 59

Helen gives up the opportunity to bake 40 cakes for each room she paints;Josh can paint one room in the time it takes him to bake 60 cakes.Theopportunity cost of a cake for Helen is

A)painting one room
B)painting 1/40 of a room
C)painting 1/60 of a room
D)painting 2/3 of a room
E)painting 3/2 of a room

Question 60

Helen gives up the opportunity to bake 40 cakes for each room she paints;Josh can paint one room in the time it takes him to bake 60 cakes.Theopportunity cost of a cake for Josh is

A)painting one room
B)painting 1/40 of a room
C)painting 1/60 of a room
D)painting 2/3 of a room
E)painting 3/2 of a room

Question 61

Division of labor increases productivity because

A)tasks can be assigned according to individual tastes and abilities
B)workers who repeatedly perform the same tasks become bored
C)each worker must learn each of the numerous tasks in the total production process
D)specialization of labor allows for the introduction of cheaper, less sophisticated production techniques
E)managers can force workers to produce goods that are valued more highly than the costs of producing
Them.

Question 62

In one week, Tetah can knit 15 sweaters or bake 480 cookies.Theopportunity cost per sweater for Tetah is

A)$480
B)480 cookies
C)32 cookies
D)1/32 of a cookie
E)15 cookies

Question 63

In one week, Mohammed can knit 5 sweaters or bake 240 cookies.Theopportunity cost per cookie for Mohammed is

A)$5
B)5 sweaters
C)48 sweaters
D)1/48 of a sweater
E)48 cookies

Question 64

Fast food is faster and cheaper than a similar meal you could prepare foryourself.Which of the following does not explain that fact?

A)meal preparation has been divided into many separate tasks
B)larger­scale production allows the introduction of more efficient machines
C)workers gain productivity at a task over time
D)there is less time lost moving from one task to another
E)workers are more productive when they are being paid

Question 65

Barter is

A)illegal in the United States
B)an efficient system of exchange
C)most useful when there is much specialization and international trade
D)only possible if money is used as a medium of exchange
E)the direct exchange of goods, without the use of money

Question 66

The division of labor facilitates productivity increases for all of thefollowing reasons, except one.Which is the exception?

A)It allows people to do those tasks for which they have the greatest natural ability.
B)Workers get better at tasks, the more they repeat them.
C)The more experience workers gain by specializing in a task, the more likely they will enjoy that task.
D)More sophisticated production techniques are introduced.
E)The division of labor often permits the introduction of labor­saving machinery.

Question 67

Given the information in Exhibit 2­2, which product should Friday (anindividual) make?

A)fishhooks because he can make 30 more per day than Crusoe but only 8 more fishing poles
B)both because he is better at both
C)fishing poles because that is where his comparative advantage lies
D)neither because Crusoe is better at both
E)we cannot tell from the given information

Question 68

Which of the following provide the best evidence of specialization?

A)a firm that produces a line of related products, such as eight kinds of breakfast cereal
B)an architect who is willing to practice in only one geographic area
C)a physician that practices in a specialty area such as cardiology or orthopedic surgery
D)a family that eats at Wendy's every Thursday night
E)a retailer that sells goods but provides no services

Question 69

Because of specialization and comparative advantage, most people

A)consume only what they produce themselves
B)consume the products produced by their family and friends
C)consume the products of many other specialists
D)do not use money as a medium of exchange
E)share whatever they produce

Question 70

In one week, Tetah can knit 15 sweaters or bake 480 cookies.Theopportunity cost per cookie for Tetah is

A)$15
B)15 sweaters
C)32 sweaters
D)1/32 of a sweater
E)480 sweaters

Question 71

)Which of the following is not a gain from division of labor?

A)Workers' abilities are matched to tasks.
B)Workers gain experience from the repetition of the tasks.
C)Workers save time by not moving to different tasks.
D)Workers' morale increases as tasks become more specialized.
E)The introduction of labor­saving machinery is possible.

Question 72

Money facilitates trade because

A)it eliminates the need for specialization
B)it prevents people from taking advantage of each other
C)it serves as a medium of exchange
D)division of labor allows money to be produced at a lower cost
E)people do not benefit from barter unless money is used

Question 73

The division of labor

A)allows more people to be employed
B)allows tasks to be performed more efficiently
C)makes people happier on the job
D)means that less management is required
E)means that less equipment will be used

Question 74

If I trade a ginger snap for a chocolate chip cookie, I am engaging in

A)barter
B)comparative advantage
C)absolute advantage
D)privatization
E)division of labor

Question 75

Barter occurs when

A)two people share everything
B)one product is exchanged directly for another product
C)money is used to buy goods
D)money is exchanged directly for other money
E)goods are used to buy money

Question 76

.Specialization often leads to gains in productivity for society as a whole.

Question 77

In one week, Mohammed can knit 5 sweaters or bake 240 cookies.In oneweek, Tetah can knit 15 sweaters or bake 480 cookies.Mohammed andTetah would produce the maximum quantities of cookies and sweaters if

A)Mohammed knitted and baked and Tetah did nothing
B)Tetah knitted and baked and Mohammed did nothing
C)Mohammed knitted and Tetah baked
D)Tetah knitted and Mohammed baked
E)Mohammed knitted and baked and Tetah just knitted

Question 78

Specialization can sometimes create problems such as boredom andrepetitive motion injuries.

Question 79

A medium of exchange must be

A)approved by the government
B)socially acceptable in exchange for goods and services
C)easy to reproduce
D)used to eliminate specialization and the division of labor
E)used when a system of barter exists

Question 80

Division of labor allows people to do tasks for which they have greaternatural ability.