Name: 
 

Chapter 7


True/False
Indicate whether the statement is true or false.
 

 1. 
Consumer surplus is the buyer's willingness to pay minus the seller's cost.
 

 2. 
If the demand curve in a market is stationary, consumer surplus decreases when the price in that market increases.
 

 3. 
If your willingness to pay for a hamburger is €3.00 and the price is €2.00, your consumer surplus is €5.00.
 

 4. 
Producer surplus is a measure of the unsold inventories of suppliers in a market.
 

 5. 
Consumer surplus is a good measure of buyers' benefits if buyers are rational.
 

 6. 
Cost to the seller includes the opportunity cost of the seller's time.
 

 7. 
The height of the supply curve is the marginal seller's cost.
 

 8. 
Total surplus is the seller's cost minus the buyer's willingness to pay.
 

 9. 
Free markets are efficient because they allocate output to buyers who have a willingness to pay that is below the price.
 

 10. 
Producer surplus is the area above the supply curve and below the price.
 

 11. 
The major advantage of allowing free markets to allocate resources is that the outcome of the allocation is efficient when particular assumptions hold true.
 

 12. 
Equilibrium in a competitive market maximizes total surplus.
 

 13. 
The two main types of market failure are market power and externalities.
 

 14. 
Externalities are side effects, such as pollution, that are not taken into account by the buyers and sellers in a market.
 

 15. 
Producing more of a product always adds to total surplus.
 

Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
 

 16. 
Consumer surplus is the area
a.
below the demand curve and above the price.
b.
above the supply curve and below the price.
c.
above the demand curve and below the price.
d.
below the supply curve and above the price.
e.
below the demand curve and above the supply curve.
 

 17. 
A buyer's willingness to pay is that buyer's
a.
minimum amount they are willing to pay for a good.
b.
producer surplus.
c.
consumer surplus.
d.
maximum amount they are willing to pay for a good.
e.
estimation of the cost of production
 

 18. 
If a buyer's willingness to pay for a new Honda is €20,000 and she is able to actually buy it for €18,000, her consumer surplus is
a.
€0.
b.
€2,000.
c.
€18,000.
d.
€20,000.
e.
€38,000.
 

 19. 
An increase in the price of a good along a stationary demand curve
a.
improves the material welfare of the buyers.
b.
decreases consumer surplus.
c.
improves market efficiency.
d.
increases consumer surplus.
 

 20. 
Suppose there are three identical vases available to be purchased. Buyer 1 is willing to pay €30 for one, buyer 2 is willing to pay €25 for one, and buyer 3 is willing to pay €20 for one. If the price is €25, how many vases will be sold and what is the value of consumer surplus in this market?
a.
Three vases will be sold and consumer surplus is €80.
b.
One vase will be sold and consumer surplus is €5.
c.
One vase will be sold and consumer surplus is €30.
d.
Three vases will be sold and consumer surplus is €0.
e.
Two vases will be sold and consumer surplus is €5.
 

 21. 
Producer surplus is the area
a.
below the supply curve and above the price.
b.
below the demand curve and above the supply curve.
c.
below the demand curve and above the price.
d.
above the demand curve and below the price.
e.
above the supply curve and below the price.
 

 22. 
If a benevolent social planner chooses to produce less than the equilibrium quantity of a good, then
a.
total surplus is maximized.
b.
the value placed on the last unit of production by buyers exceeds the cost of production.
c.
producer surplus is maximized.
d.
the cost of production on the last unit produced exceeds the value placed on it by buyers.
e.
consumer surplus is maximized.
 

 23. 
If a benevolent social planner chooses to produce more than the equilibrium quantity of a good, then
a.
the value placed on the last unit of production by buyers exceeds the cost of production.
b.
the cost of production on the last unit produced exceeds the value placed on it by buyers.
c.
consumer surplus is maximized.
d.
total surplus is maximized.
e.
producer surplus is maximized.
 

 24. 
The seller's cost of production is
a.
the proportion of total cost allocated to profit
b.
the minimum amount the seller is willing to accept for a good.
c.
the seller's producer surplus.
d.
the maximum amount the seller is willing to accept for a good.
e.
the seller's consumer surplus.
 

 25. 
Total surplus is the area
a.
above the supply curve and below the price.
b.
below the demand curve and above the price.
c.
below the demand curve and above the supply curve.
d.
below the supply curve and above the price.
e.
above the demand curve and below the price.
 

 26. 
An increase in the price of a good along a stationary supply curve
a.
increases producer surplus.
b.
does all of the things described in these answers.
c.
decreases producer surplus.
d.
improves market equity.
 

 27. 
Adam Smith's "invisible hand" concept suggests that a competitive market outcome
a.
maximizes total surplus.
b.
generates equality among the members of society.
c.
minimizes total surplus.
d.
both maximizes total surplus and generates equality among the members of society.
 

 28. 
In general, if a benevolent social planner wanted to maximize the total benefits received by buyers and sellers in a market, the planner should
a.
choose a price below the market equilibrium price.
b.
allow the market to seek equilibrium on its own.
c.
choose any price the planner wants because the losses to the sellers (buyers) from any change in price are exactly offset by the gains to the buyers (sellers).
d.
choose a price above the market equilibrium price.
 

 29. 
If buyers are rational and there is no market failure,
a.
free market solutions are efficient.
b.
free market solutions maximize total surplus.
c.
all of these answers.
d.
free market solutions are equitable.
e.
free market solutions are efficient and free market solutions maximize total surplus.
 

 30. 
If a producer has market power (can influence the price of the product in the market) then free market solutions
a.
are equitable.
c.
maximize consumer surplus.
b.
are efficient.
d.
are inefficient.
 

 31. 
If a market is efficient, then
a.
the market allocates buyers to the sellers who can produce the good at least cost.
b.
all of these answers.
c.
none of these answers.
d.
the quantity produced in the market maximizes the sum of consumer and producer surplus.
e.
the market allocates output to the buyers that value it the most.
 

 32. 
If a market generates a side effect or externality, then such market solutions
a.
maximize producer surplus.
c.
are inefficient.
b.
are efficient.
d.
are equitable.
 

 33. 
Medical care clearly enhances people’s lives. Therefore, we should consume medical care until
a.
everyone has as much as they would like.
b.
the benefit buyers place on medical care is equal to the cost of producing it.
c.
buyers receive no benefit from another unit of medical care.
d.
we are forced to cut back on the consumption of other goods.
 

 34. 
Rainer has ten pairs of football boots and Helene has none. A pair of football boots costs €50 to produce. If Rainer values an additional pair of boots at €100 and Helene values a pair of boots at €40, then to maximize
a.
efficiency Helene should receive the boots.
b.
efficiency Rainer should receive the boots.
c.
equity, Rainer should receive the boots.
d.
consumer surplus both should receive a boots.
 

 35. 
Suppose that the price of a new bicycle is €300. Natalie values a new bicycle at €400. It costs €200 for the seller to produce the new bicycle. What is the value of total surplus if Natalie buys a new bike?
a.
€500
b.
€300
c.
€200
d.
€400
e.
€100
 



 
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