Temple University
Department of Economics
Economics 52
Microeconomic Principles
1st Hour Exam, Spring 2006

Name _______________________________________

Directions: You have 50 minutes to complete this exam.  You must do all questions; point values are shown.  Your work must be your own; you may neither give nor receive help.  This is a closed book exam.

A.	Multiple Choice (45 points) Answers at the end.

	1.	Which of the following statements about total utility is false? 
	A)	The increase in total utility from the second unit consumed exceeds the increase from the first unit consumed. 
	B)	At some point, the increase in total utility from consuming an extra unit begins to get smaller. 
	C)	Total utility increases as more units of a good are consumed. 
	D)	The increase in total utility from the first unit consumed exceeds the increase from the second unit consumed. 
	E)	Total utility can't be measured. 

Use the following to answer questions 2-3:

David finds he has one hour of time in the evening to allocate on the first day of the new semester.  He can do one of two things.  He can watch TV for one hour or he can open his economics textbook and read for an hour.  The benefit of watching TV is 30; the benefit of reading about economics is 20. 

	2.	The net benefit of watching TV is 
	A)	-10. 
	B)	30. 
	C)	20. 
	D)	0. 
	E)	10. 

	3.	The net benefit of reading about economics is 
	A)	20. 
	B)	0. 
	C)	10. 
	D)	-10. 
	E)	30. 
	4.	In general, it is true that 
	A)	less specialization is always better. 
	B)	more specialization is always better. 
	C)	less specialization is always worse. 
	D)	specialization imposes costs as well as benefits. 
	E)	more specialization is always worse. 

Use the following to answer question 5:

	5.	Based on their comparative advantages, Craig should specialize in producing __________ while Jenny should specialize in producing __________. 
	A)	pants; shoes 
	B)	shoes; pants 
	C)	pants; pants 
	D)	both; neither 
	E)	neither; both 

Use the following to answer question 6:
Figure 1.1

	6.	The marginal benefit of adding the 10th shirt to one's wardrobe is 
	A)	$45. 
	B)	$30. 
	C)	$10. 
	D)	0. 
	E)	$75. 
	7.	If the total benefits of watching 1,2, and 3 baseball games on TV are 100, 120, and 125 then the marginal benefits are 
	A)	100, 240, and 375. 
	B)	100, 10, and -30. 
	C)	100,120, and 125. 
	D)	100, 609, and 41.67. 
	E)	100, 20, and 5. 

	8.	At the individual level, comparative advantage results from: 
	A)	differences in education or training. 
	B)	cultural differences. 
	C)	language differences. 
	D)	amount of resources available. 
	E)	differences in natural resources. 

	9.	Which of the following will not cause a shift in the demand curve for Athlon processors? 
	A)	A decrease in the price of motherboards. 
	B)	A decrease in the price of Pentium III processors. 
	C)	A decrease in the price of Athlon processors. 
	D)	An increase in consumers' incomes. 
	E)	An increase in the price of memory. 

	10.	For most goods, as the number of units consumed increases, total utility ______, while marginal utility ______. 
	A)	increases; increases 
	B)	peaks; bottoms out 
	C)	increases; decreases 
	D)	decreases; increases 
	E)	decreases; decreases 

	11.	Joe has decided to purchase his textbooks for the semester. His options are to purchase the books via the Internet with next day delivery to his home at a cost of $250, or to drive to campus tomorrow to buy the books at the university bookstore at a cost of $245. Last week he drove to campus to buy a concert ticket because they offered 20 percent off the regular price of $20. 
	A)	It would be rational for Joe to drive to campus because the $5 saving is more than he saved by driving there to buy the concert ticket. 
	B)	It would not be rational for Joe to drive to campus to purchase the books because the $5 saving is only two percent of the cost of the books, and that is much less than the 20 percent he saved on the concert ticket. 
	C)	There is insufficient information to determine whether it would be rational or not for Joe to purchase the books via the Internet or on campus. 
	D)	It would not be rational for Joe to drive to campus to purchase the books because the cost of gas and his time must certainly be more than the $5 he would save. 
	E)	It would be rational for Joe to drive to campus because it costs less to buy the books there than via the Internet. 
Use the following to answer question 12:
In many cities, discount clubs are popular.  For a fixed annual fee, one can purchase goods at 95% of their listed price; otherwise, one pays the list price.  Suppose that the fee is $100 and the interest rate is 10%.  Finally, assume the discount club's list prices are the same as any other store. 

	12.	Suppose the Jones family plans to spend $1000.  They __________ purchase the membership because __________. 
	A)	will; the net benefit of membership is $60. 
	B)	will; it seems like a good deal. 
	C)	will not; the net benefit of membership is -$50. 
	D)	will; the net benefit of membership is $50. 
	E)	will not; the net benefit of membership is -$60. 

Use the following to answer question 13:

Figure 4.4

	13.	Assume supply and demand both shift to the right so that D2 and S2 are now the relevant curves.  The new equilibrium occurs at a price of _______ and ______ units exchanged. 
	A)	$30; 70 
	B)	$60; 20 
	C)	$30; 30 
	D)	$60; 40 
	E)	$90; 50 

	14.	A university observes that when it raises the price of football tickets, total revenue from football games increases and when they lower ticket prices, total revenue falls. This suggests 
	A)	the demand for tickets to football games must be elastic. 
	B)	the demand for tickets to football games must be inelastic. 
	C)	the demand for tickets to football games is unit elastic. 
	D)	there are many good substitutes for college football games 
	E)	football fans act irrationally. 

	15.	Nineteenth century economist Stanley Jevons argued the price of a good was determined by 
	A)	its value to the supplier. 
	B)	the expense involved in producing it. 
	C)	its value to the consumer. 
	D)	government decree. 
	E)	custom and tradition. 

B.	Essay (25 points)

You will be graded on content, as well as spelling, grammar and syntax.  If you don’t write legibly, then I won’t read it.

It is observed that during the winter months airfares for flights to warm, sunny climates increase and more people fly to those locations.  It is observed that during the winter months the price of tomatoes in Philadelphia rises and fewer tomatoes are consumed.  Explain how both observations can be true.

To produce the observed facts about airfares there must have been an increase in demand (a rightward shift of the demand curve) for air travel to warm, sunny locations.

To produce the observed facts about tomatoes there must have been a decrease (a leftward shift of the supply curve) in tomato supply.

C.	Problem (30 points)

Bud Wyzer has determined that the equations describing the market for malt beverages are

Q = 200 – ½ P  ______Demand______________________

P = 20 + ½ Q   _______Supply_____________________

a.  P is the price per barrel and Q is the number of barrels.  On the lines to the right of the equations indicate which is the supply curve and which is the demand curve.

b.  What are the equilibrium price and quantity?

P _______________________         Q  _________________________

Q = 200 – ½ (20+ 1/2 Q)
Q = 200 – 10 – ¼ Q
Q = 190 – ¼ Q
5/4 Q = 190
Q = 152

c.  What is the elasticity of demand for malt beverages at the equilibrium price and quantity?

ε = (96/152)(1/2) = .31

d.  In order to fund the treatment of the health effects due to the over-consumption of malt beverages it is decided that an excise of $10 per barrel will be imposed.  Find the new equilibrium quantity of malt beverages.

Pt = 20 + 10 + ½ Q
Q = 200 – ½ Q
Q = 200 – ½ (30 + ½ Q)
Q = 200 -15 – ¼ Q
5/4 Q = 185
Q = 148 

e.  How much money will be raised by the tax?

Tax Revenue = (10)(148) = 1480

f.  What price will be paid by consumers, inclusive of the tax?

148 = 200 – ½ P
-52 = - ½ P
P = 104

g.  What will be the net price received by the sellers of malt beverages?

Pnet = 104 – 10 = 94
Answer Key

	1.	A	
	2.	E	
	3.	D	
	4.	D	
	5.	A	
	6.	E	
	7.	E	
	8.	A	
	9.	C	
	10.	C	
	11.	A	
	12.	E	
	13.	E	
	14.	B	
	15.	C