Podcast
Questions and Answers
Why do economists prefer using percentages for calculating elasticity?
Why do economists prefer using percentages for calculating elasticity?
- Percentages are absolute values that can be easily understood.
- Elasticity should be measured in compatible units, and percentages are unit-less. (correct)
- Percentages make it easier to compare different units of measurement.
- Percentages allow for quicker calculations without the need for a formula.
How does the direction of price change affect the calculated elasticity?
How does the direction of price change affect the calculated elasticity?
- An increase in price will always yield a positive elasticity value.
- The algebraic formula for elasticity only accounts for price increases.
- Elasticity remains the same regardless of direction due to the properties of ratios.
- Elasticity can differ based on whether the price increase or decrease is measured first. (correct)
What was the calculated elasticity of demand for petrol when using the average changes?
What was the calculated elasticity of demand for petrol when using the average changes?
- 0.75, indicating inelastic demand
- 0.89, indicating inelastic demand (correct)
- 1.06, indicating elastic demand
- 0.50, indicating unitary elastic demand
What is the primary consequence of calculating elasticity without adjusting for average changes?
What is the primary consequence of calculating elasticity without adjusting for average changes?
When measuring the elasticity of demand as price decreases from $1.20 to $1.00, what is the original quantity demanded?
When measuring the elasticity of demand as price decreases from $1.20 to $1.00, what is the original quantity demanded?
What common perception do students have towards economics subjects?
What common perception do students have towards economics subjects?
What approach does the book advocate for teaching economics effectively?
What approach does the book advocate for teaching economics effectively?
Why have economics class sizes reportedly been shrinking at universities?
Why have economics class sizes reportedly been shrinking at universities?
What teaching philosophy has been consistent across the author's global teaching experience?
What teaching philosophy has been consistent across the author's global teaching experience?
What is one of the primary goals of the book regarding the teaching of microeconomics?
What is one of the primary goals of the book regarding the teaching of microeconomics?
How does the author view the use of complicated economic laws in daily life?
How does the author view the use of complicated economic laws in daily life?
What impact does the author suggest the current teaching methods have on students' perceptions of economics?
What impact does the author suggest the current teaching methods have on students' perceptions of economics?
What does the Law of Supply indicate about the relationship between price and quantity supplied?
What does the Law of Supply indicate about the relationship between price and quantity supplied?
At a price of $4, what is the quantity of product that the supplier is willing to provide?
At a price of $4, what is the quantity of product that the supplier is willing to provide?
When the price rises from $5 to $6, how does the quantity supplied change?
When the price rises from $5 to $6, how does the quantity supplied change?
What is illustrated by the movement along the supply curve when price changes?
What is illustrated by the movement along the supply curve when price changes?
What happens to the willingness to supply as prices decrease according to the supply curve?
What happens to the willingness to supply as prices decrease according to the supply curve?
Which aspect of supplier behavior is determined by the points on the supply curve?
Which aspect of supplier behavior is determined by the points on the supply curve?
How many units are supplied at a price of $2 according to the supply schedule?
How many units are supplied at a price of $2 according to the supply schedule?
If the supply curve is upward sloping, what characteristic of the supplier does this reflect?
If the supply curve is upward sloping, what characteristic of the supplier does this reflect?
What factor is represented on the x-axis when plotting the supply curve?
What factor is represented on the x-axis when plotting the supply curve?
What does the production possibility frontier (PPF) curve illustrate?
What does the production possibility frontier (PPF) curve illustrate?
What must a government consider when allocating its limited resources?
What must a government consider when allocating its limited resources?
Which statement best describes opportunity costs?
Which statement best describes opportunity costs?
How does the PPF curve change when opportunity costs are increasing?
How does the PPF curve change when opportunity costs are increasing?
What implication does the concept of scarcity have on consumer choices?
What implication does the concept of scarcity have on consumer choices?
In the context of a firm deciding on product combinations, what would be an example of a trade-off?
In the context of a firm deciding on product combinations, what would be an example of a trade-off?
Why do firms and governments also encounter scarcity?
Why do firms and governments also encounter scarcity?
What might the shape of a PPF curve indicate about the nature of opportunity costs?
What might the shape of a PPF curve indicate about the nature of opportunity costs?
What is a crucial consequence of limited resources for economic agents?
What is a crucial consequence of limited resources for economic agents?
What does it indicate if the price elasticity of demand is less than one?
What does it indicate if the price elasticity of demand is less than one?
At which point on the demand curve does unit elasticity occur?
At which point on the demand curve does unit elasticity occur?
What is the expected effect on quantity demanded if the price increases from $5 to $10, based on the elasticity findings?
What is the expected effect on quantity demanded if the price increases from $5 to $10, based on the elasticity findings?
What feature of the demand curve illustrates varying elasticities?
What feature of the demand curve illustrates varying elasticities?
If the price increases from $30 to $35 and quantity demanded decreases from 10 to 5, what can be inferred about the demand?
If the price increases from $30 to $35 and quantity demanded decreases from 10 to 5, what can be inferred about the demand?
Which scenario would represent perfectly elastic demand?
Which scenario would represent perfectly elastic demand?
What does a price elasticity of demand greater than one indicate?
What does a price elasticity of demand greater than one indicate?
How is the price elasticity of demand calculated?
How is the price elasticity of demand calculated?
Which of the following statements is true about inelastic demand?
Which of the following statements is true about inelastic demand?
What characteristic allows demand to be perfectly inelastic?
What characteristic allows demand to be perfectly inelastic?
Flashcards
Why do many students struggle with economics?
Why do many students struggle with economics?
Many students find economics difficult, unappealing, and even boring. This makes it hard to attract students to the subject, leading to shrinking class sizes and even course abandonment.
What is the author's main argument about why students struggle with economics?
What is the author's main argument about why students struggle with economics?
The author argues that the issue lies in the way economics is presented. It's often taught using technical jargon and abstract concepts, making it challenging to connect with real-life experiences.
How does the author suggest making economics more relatable?
How does the author suggest making economics more relatable?
Economics is fundamentally about everyday choices and actions. The author believes that teaching economics through real-life examples would make it more engaging and understandable.
What is the goal of this book?
What is the goal of this book?
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What teaching methods does the book employ?
What teaching methods does the book employ?
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How does the author's experience influence their teaching philosophy?
How does the author's experience influence their teaching philosophy?
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Production Possibility Frontier (PPF)
Production Possibility Frontier (PPF)
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Opportunity Cost
Opportunity Cost
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Scarcity
Scarcity
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Increasing Opportunity Costs
Increasing Opportunity Costs
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Constant Opportunity Costs
Constant Opportunity Costs
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Resource Allocation
Resource Allocation
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Public Goods
Public Goods
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Resources
Resources
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Economic Decision-Making
Economic Decision-Making
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Why use percentages in elasticity calculations?
Why use percentages in elasticity calculations?
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Why use average changes in price and quantity?
Why use average changes in price and quantity?
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What is price elasticity of demand?
What is price elasticity of demand?
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What does elastic demand mean?
What does elastic demand mean?
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What does inelastic demand mean?
What does inelastic demand mean?
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What is the Law of Supply?
What is the Law of Supply?
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What is a supply curve?
What is a supply curve?
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What is a change in quantity supplied?
What is a change in quantity supplied?
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What is the Law of Supply?
What is the Law of Supply?
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What is quantity supplied?
What is quantity supplied?
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What is a supply curve?
What is a supply curve?
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What is a change in quantity supplied?
What is a change in quantity supplied?
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What is the direct relationship between price and quantity supplied?
What is the direct relationship between price and quantity supplied?
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What is a supplier's decision-making process?
What is a supplier's decision-making process?
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What is the impact of changing product or service prices?
What is the impact of changing product or service prices?
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Price Elasticity of Demand (Ed)
Price Elasticity of Demand (Ed)
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Inelastic Demand (Ed < 1)
Inelastic Demand (Ed < 1)
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Elastic Demand (Ed > 1)
Elastic Demand (Ed > 1)
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Unit Elasticity (Ed = 1)
Unit Elasticity (Ed = 1)
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Variable Elasticity on a Demand Curve
Variable Elasticity on a Demand Curve
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Elasticity at the Top of the Demand Curve
Elasticity at the Top of the Demand Curve
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Inelasticity at the Bottom of the Demand Curve
Inelasticity at the Bottom of the Demand Curve
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Perfectly Elastic Demand
Perfectly Elastic Demand
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Perfectly Inelastic Demand
Perfectly Inelastic Demand
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Study Notes
Simplified Principles of Microeconomics
- The book is a simplified guide to microeconomics, aimed at students.
- The author, Hazbo Skoko, has decades of international teaching experience.
- The book is divided into three parts: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.
- Part 1 lays the foundation for the book, introducing visual vocabulary for the subject.
- Part 2 focuses on the core principles of microeconomics (five principles).
- Part 3 provides a summary and reference materials (bibliography, answers to exercises, glossary).
Introduction
- Economic subjects are often perceived as hard, mathematical, and boring.
- The book aims to use everyday activities to illustrate economic theory.
- A teaching approach is used which emphasizes simplicity, honesty, humour, and respect for student learning styles.
- The author has taught extensively worldwide, and developed a teaching style based on these principles.
- A teaching example involved providing a lecture without direct instruction to promote independent thinking about creativity.
Part 1: The Structure of the Book
- The book is divided into three parts.
- Part 1 introduces basic concepts utilizing graphs.
- Part 2 delves into core microeconomic principles.
- Part 3 contains a summary, bibliography of key texts, exercises, and a glossary of economic terms.
Part 2: The First Principle: We Can't Have Everything We Want
- The basic economic principle that resources are limited and choices must be made.
- The concept of opportunity cost: the cost of the next best alternative given up when a decision is made.
- Opportunity costs are not always monetary but can also be measured in other values, eg: time, satisfaction.
- Examples of opportunity costs: choosing an iPhone over another phone, spending time studying instead of relaxing.
- This principle is illustrated through graphs and everyday examples.
Part 2: The Second Principle: Desire Versus Availability
- Economics of demand and supply.
- Understanding the behavior of consumers.
- The principle states that consumers demand more of a product as its price goes down and less as the price goes up. The inverse relationship is demonstrated with graphs.
- Identifying the difference between changes in demand and in quantity demanded.
- Identifying the difference between changes in supply and in quantity supplied.
- Non-price factors that influence demand/supply to illustrate how this shifts the demand and supply curves.
- Examples of shifts, such as changes in customer behaviour, consumer preferences, and income.
- Demonstrating the demand & supply curve for a good.
- Illustrating how a change in price can cause a movement along the demand or supply curve.
Part 2: The Third Principle: Measuring Responses
- Elasticity of demand: measures the responsiveness of quantity demanded to changes in price.
- Elasticity of supply: measures the responsiveness of quantity supplied to changes in price.
- Elasticity of income: measures the responsiveness of quantity demanded to changes in income.
- Demand sensitivity to price changes, illustrated through examples of petrol and gum to show the percentage responsiveness of the quantity demanded.
- The differences between elastic, inelastic, and unit elastic demand are explained.
Part 2: The Fourth Principle: Negotiations
- Markets as places where suppliers and customers interact to reach mutual agreement on price and quantity.
- A competitive market is one where buyers and sellers negotiate without coercion.
- Suppliers seek highest price while customers seek lowest price.
- Equilibrium point: The point where demand and supply curves intersect.
Part 2: Different Market Structures
- Perfect competition: Many small firms selling homogeneous products with free entry and exit and easy access to information.
- Imperfect competition (monopoly): a single seller with obstacles to entry (e.g., patents, high start-up costs), offering unique products or with limited information.
- Examples of imperfect competition: monopolies and oligopolies.
Part 2: The Fifth Principle: Costs
- Production Factors: land, labor, capital and entrepreneur ship.
- Illustrating the cost curves on a graph, providing examples of fixed cost, variable cost, total cost, average fixed cost, average variable cost, average total cost, and marginal cost.
- Considering marginal costs and marginal revenue.
- Discussing the link between production and costs.
Part 3: Instead of a Conclusion
- The book challenges conventional teaching styles of economics.
- It emphasizes how economic concepts relate to everyday actions.
- The importance of understanding and applying economic principles in various aspects of life.
Part 3: About the Author
- Hazbo Skoko's credentials and background, highlighting their extensive experience internationally.
- Broad scope of research areas (IT management, international business, economics, quantum physics).
Part 3: Bibliography
- Lists of crucial sources and recommended texts for further study.
Part 3: Selected Answers
- Answers to the exercises and questions in the text, allowing for self-assessment.
Part 3: Glossary
- Defines important microeconomic terms, aiding understanding.
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