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41) Optimal decisions are made at the point where marginal cost equals zero. 42) If it costs Sinclair $300 to produce 3 suede jackets and $420 to produce 4 suede jackets, then the difference of $120 is the marginal cost of producing the 4th suede jacket. 43) Suppose the extra cost for a doctor to keep his office open for one extra hour is $200. Then, the doctor should stay open for the extra hour even if he can generate additional revenue of $200 for that hour. 44) Explain the economic assumption that “people are rational.” 45) Explain the economic idea that “people respond to incentives.” 46) What is meant by the statement that “optimal decisions are made at the margin”? 47) Assume that a doctor can earn an additional $20,000 of revenue each year from keeping his office open for one additional hour per week. What must the additional cost of keeping the office open this additional hour per week be to make staying open for the extra hour economically rational? 1.2  The Economic Problem That Every Society Must Solve 1) The three fundamental questions that any economy must address are: A) What will be the prices of goods and services; how will these goods and services be produced; and who will receive them? B) What goods and services to produce; how will these goods and services be produced; and who receives them? C) Who gets jobs; what wages do workers earn; and who owns what property? D) How much will be saved; what will be produced; and how can these goods and services be fairly distributed? 2) The idea that because of scarcity, producing more of one good or service means producing less of another good or service refers to the economic concept of A) optimization. B) efficiency. C) trade-off. D) equity. 3) Society faces a trade-off in all of the following situations except A) when deciding who will receive the goods and services produced. B) when deciding what goods and services will be produced. C) when deciding how goods and services will be produced. D) when some previously unemployed workers find jobs. 4) Which of the following statements is true? A) Anytime you have to decide which action to take you are experiencing economic equity. B) Trade-offs do not apply when the consumers purchase a product for which there is excess supply, such as a stock clearance sale. C) Every individual, no matter how rich or poor, is faced with making trade-offs. D) Economics is a social science that studies the trade-offs we are forced to make because resources are unlimited. 5) Which of the following is not an example of an economic trade-off that a firm has to make? A) whether it is cheaper to produce with more machines or with more workers B) whether it is to outsource the production of a good or service C) whether or not consumers will buy its products D) whether it should produce more of its product 6) The highest valued alternative that must be given up to engage in an activity is the definition of A) economic equity. B) marginal benefit. C) opportunity cost. D) marginal cost. 7) The Coffee Nook, a small cafe near campus, sells cappuccinos for $2.50 and Russian tea cakes for $1.00 each. What is the opportunity cost of buying a cappuccino? A) 2 1/2 Russian tea cakes B) 2/5 of a Russian tea cake C) $2.50 D) $1.00 8) Arlene quits her $125,000-a-year job to take care of her ailing parents. What is the opportunity cost of her decision? A) zero, since she will no longer be earning a salary B) It depends on the “going rate” for home-care providers. C) at least $125,000 D) the value she attributes to the satisfaction she receives from taking care of her parents 9) The distribution of income primarily determines which of the fundamental economic questions? A) What goods and services are to be produced? B) How the goods and services are to be produced? C) Who will receive the goods and services produced? D) How to plan the economy? 10) Automobile manufacturers produce a range of automobiles such as sports utility vehicles, luxury sedans, pickup trucks and compact cars. What fundamental economic question are they addressing by making this range of products? A) How to produce goods that consumers want? B) Why produce a variety of automobiles? C) What to produce? D) Who to produce automobiles for?