Study for test 3 – microeconomics – Flashcards

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What describes monopolistic competition?
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A relatively large number of sellers producing differentiated products and in which entry or exit from the industry is quite easy.
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Marginal revenue is the _____ in total revenue that results from selling _____ more unit (extra unit) of output.
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Change/1
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What best describes oligopoly?
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Involves only a few sellers of a standardized or differentiated product, so each firm is affected by the decisions of its rivals.
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In a purely competitive industry, marginal _____ is equal to ______.
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Cost/price; revenue/marginal cost; revenue;price
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What best describes a pure monopoly?
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One firm selling a single unique product, where entry of additional firms is blocked and product differentiation is not an issue.
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In a purely competitive market, price per unit to the purchaser is the same as _____ per unit or _____ revenue to a seller.
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Revenue/Average
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From an economic standpoint, the break-even point is the level of output at which a firm makes ______ profit.
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zero/normal
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Which of the following best describes marginal revenue
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the additional or extra revenue that an additional or extra unit of output contributes to total revenue
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Which of the following factors will alter costs and shift the marginal cost or short-run supply curve to a new location
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Technology Price of variable inputs
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The marginal cost curve is the firm's short-run ____ curve
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supply
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A wage increase would increase marginal costs and shift the supply curve
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upward; to the left
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Which of the following describes the purely competitive industry's supply curve
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it is the sum of the supply curves of all the firms in the industry and has an important bearing on price
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A purely competitive firm is a price _____
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taker
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Confronted with the market price of its product, a purely competitive producer will ask which three questions
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What economic profit or loss will we realize if we produce this product If we produce this product, in what amount Should we produce this product
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in the short run, the firm has a _____ plant and therefore, can adjust its output only through changes in the amount of ______ resources it uses.
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fixed; variable
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At a profit-maximizing level of output of 25 units, a perfectly competitive firm's marginal revenue is $4, average variable cost is $.30, average total cost is $1.22 and marginal cost is $3.75 this firm's economic profit equal
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$69.50
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True or false: A firm within pure competition will maximize its profits when total cost is maximized over total revenue
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false (A firm with pure competition will maximize its profit when total revenue is maximized over total cost)
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When price is above ______ total cost, the firm incurs and economic profit
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average
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A purely competitive firm can maximize its economic profit (or minimize its loss) only by adjusting its
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supply
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Economists group industries into _______ distinct market structures
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four
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In pure competition, a firm's economic profits is equal to:
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-marginal revenue minus average total cost multiplied by quantity -price minus average total cost multiplied by quantity
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_______ is relatively rare in the real world, although this market model is highly __________ to several industries
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Pure competition; relevant
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A purely competitive firm's demand schedule is also known as its:
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average-revenue schedule & marginal-revenue schedule
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The MR = MC rule is known as the:
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profit-maximizing rule loss-minimizing rule
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Match each market structure with the description that best describes the conditions for exit and entry into the industry:
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Purely competitive - very easy, no obstacles Monopoly - blocked Monopolistically competitive - relatively easy Oligopoly - significant obstacles
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A purely competitive firm's total revenue (TR) curve will slope _____ and to the ________/
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Upward; right
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A firm within pure competition will produce up to the point where marginal revenue equals marginal cost because
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-it will experience the lowest losses at this point -it will experience the highest possible profits at this point
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Match each structure with its correct description in terms of non-price competition
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Monopoly - mostly public relations, advertising Monopolistically competitive - considerable emphasis on advertising, brand names, trademarks Oligopoly - a great deal, particularly with product differentiation Purely competitive - none
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A purely competitive firm's total revenue curve will
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have a constant slope because each extra unit of sales increases total revenue by a constant amount
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Which of the following are true about the profit-maximizing rule of MR = MC?
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-The rule applies only if producing is preferable to shutting down -The rule is an accurate guide to product maximization for all firms regardless of their market structure -The rule can be re-stated as P=MC when applied to a purely competitive firm because product price and MR are equal -When MR is equal to MC at a fractional level of output, the last complete unit of output should be produced where MR > MC
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In regards to its slope, a purely competitive firms demand curve is perfectly ________
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elastic
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Match each market structure with the correct description of how price control is exerted
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Oligopoly - limited by mutual interdependence Monopoly - considerable control Monopolistically competitive - some, but within narrow limits Purely competitive - none
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In pure competition, a firm's product price and marginal revenue are _______
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equal
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Which of the following best describes a firm continuing to operate even though it incurs an economic loss?
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Whenever price exceeds average variable costs but is less than average total cost, the firm can pay part but not all, its fixed costs by producing
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What is the behavior of marginal revenue for the monopolist compared to that of a pure competitor?
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Declining and lower than product price
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Which of the following describes why marginal revenue is less than price in an imperfect market?
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Because the lower price of the extra unit of output also applies to all prior units of output
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Two solutions to the economic losses caused by socially optimal pricing are public ______ and price discrimination
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subsidies
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What are potential solutions to the economic losses incurred by a regulated monopoly caused by socially optimal pricing?
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Price discrimination & public subsidies
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For a pure monopolist, total revenue _______ at a diminishing rate
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increases
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A monopolist does not have a supply curve because:
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-it does not equate price with marginal cost -there is no single, unique price associated with each level of output
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Patents provide the in venture with a __________ position for the life of the patent
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monopoly
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The _______ price is where a monopoly's price is equal to marginal cost
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socially optimal
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A natural monopoly occurs when the market demand curve crosses the long-run average total cost curve where average total costs are:
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still declining
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Which of the following can be a cause of extensive economies of scale?
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Modern technology
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Economics of scale refer to ______ average total costs with added firm size.
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declining
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What are two legal barriers to entry created by the government?
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Patents and licenses
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___________ competitors include pure monopolists, oligopolists, and monopolistic competitors.
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Imperfect
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The profit-maximizing monopolist will always want to avoid the ________ segment of its demand curve
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inelastic
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The change in total revenue is called __________ revenue
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marginal
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When are society's resources allocated efficiently?
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When purely competitive firms produce where price is equal to marginal cost
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When disrupted by changes in the economy, a purely competitive market can restore the efficiency associated with marginal revenue or ________ = _________ cost = lowest ATC.
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price; marginal
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A specific number of firms, all with fixed unalterable plants, mainly describes:
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an industry's short run
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Competitive market economies strive to generate:
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allocative efficiency & productive efficiency
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Whether a purely competitive industry is a constant-cost industry or an increasing-cost industry, the final long-run equilibrium position of all competitive firms share which of the following characteristics?
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-Price or marginal revenue will settle where it is equal to minimum average total cost -In the long run, a multiple equality occurs where price equals marginal revenue which equals the minimum average total cost -In the long run, a multiple equality occurs where price equals marginal cost which equals the minimum average total cost
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An unfavorable shift or _______ in demand will upset the original industry equilibrium and produce __________.
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decrease; losses
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In pure competition, society's resources are allocated efficiently when:
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profit-motivated firms produce output to the point where price or marginal revenue (MR) and marginal cost (MC) are equal
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Competition, reflected in the entry and exit of firms eliminates economic profits and losses by adjusting the product ______ to equal the minimum long-run average ______ cost
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price; total
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________ efficiency means that resources are distributed among firms and industries to yield a mix of products and services that is most wanted by society
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allocative
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A constant-cost industry is one where ______ or ________ will not affect resource prices and production costs
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expansion; contraction
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_______ efficiency means that goods are produced in the least costly way.
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productive
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Which of the following does an increasing-cost industry experience?
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-The downward shifting average total cost (ATC) curve as the industry contracts -An upward shifting average total cost (ATC) curve as the industry expands
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What describes consumer surplus?
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It is the difference between the maximum price that consumers are willing to pay for a product and the market price for the product
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A type of implicit understanding used by oligopolists to coordinate prices without engaging in outright collusion is known as:
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price leadership
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The benefits to oligopolists from collusion are:
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-it increases profits -it reduces price uncertainty -it possible prohibits the entry of new rivals
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Price leaders make price adjustments:
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-by communicating impending price adjustments to the industry -infrequently due to the uncertainty in rivals' response to those price changes -by establishing a price that discourages new entrants into the industry
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Which of the following best exemplifies a firm with excess capacity
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A fast-good restaurant where consumers never have to wait to place an order
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A good way to describe ______ competition is that it mixes a small amount of monopoly power with a large amount of competition, which ______ blends a large amount of monopoly power, a small amount of competition through entry, and considerable rivalry among firms
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monopolistic; oligopoly
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Three models used to study pricing and output by oligopolies are:
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-price leadership model -collusive pricing model -the kinked-demand curve model
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Monopolistic competition normally consists of 25 to 75 firms rather than hundreds or thousands and involves"
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-no collusion -small market shares -independent action
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The rudy of how people behave in strategic situations is called:
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game theory
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In the long run, if a monopolistic competitive firm is earning normal profits (breaking even), then it should exit or stagy in the industry, and why?
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Not exit the industry because both explicit and implicit costs are covered
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Which of the following are typical characteristics of monopolistic competition?
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-Small market share -No collusion -Independent
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What describes the difference between products under pure competition versus products under monopolistic competition?
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Standardized products are sold in pure competition but differentiated products are sold in monopolistic competition
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When firms in an oligopoly _______, their payoffs will be greater than if they did not.
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collude
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What means illegal cooperation with rivals?
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Collusion
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Multiple models are used to study oligopolies because oligopolies
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-encompass a greater range and diversity of market situations -cannot estimate both their demand and marginal revenue curves due to rivals' reactions
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Firms in monopolistic competition produce goods with:
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-varying degrees of customer service -slightly varying physical characteristics
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___ ___ competition is illustrated through product differentiation and advertising.
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non-price
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Which of the following are shortcomings of the kinked-demand analysis of oligopoly
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-The kinked-demand curve explains price inflexibility but not price itself -During macroeconomic instability, oligopoly prices are not as rigid as the kinked-demand theory implies
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advertising increases efficiency by..
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facilitating introduction of new products lowering search costs for consumers
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an oligopolistic firm's marginal revenue curve is made up of two segments if
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its rivals match a price cut but ignore a price increase
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The equality of price and minimum average total cost yields technical ____ efficiency; the equality of price and marginal cost yields ____ efficiency.
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Productive, Allocative
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A monopolistic competitor's demand curve
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more elastic than that of a pure monopoly but less elastic than hat of a firm in pure competition
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Oligopolistic behavior implies that oligopolists prefer competition
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-though product development -through advertising
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Monopolistically competitive firms are not productively efficient because:
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Output is less than society's optimal level because a producer's average total cost per unit is not at its lowest possible cost
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The Herfindahl index equals
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the sum of the squared percentage market shares of all firms in an industry
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The kinked-demand curve of an oligopolist is based on the assumption that:
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competitors will follow a price cut but ignore a price increase.
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Explicit costs:
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Monetary payments
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Implicit costs:
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Value of next best use Self-owned resources Includes normal profit
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Accounting profit =
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revenue - explicit costs
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Economic profit =
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Accounting profit - implicit costs
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Short run:
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-some variable inputs -fixed plant
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Long run:
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-all inputs are variable -Variable plant -Firms enter and exit
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