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Microeconomics: The Role of Markets

Marginal utility, marginal cost and decisions at the margin

  • 3 things to know
  • Component 01

Overview

Recall questions on marginal thinking, total and marginal utility and the law of diminishing marginal utility, the water-diamond paradox, and calculating marginal cost and marginal revenue.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Evaluation

Total cost of producing 20 units is £850 and of 21 units is £890. Calculate the marginal cost of the 21st unit.

Evaluation

If the total cost of producing 20 units is £850, what is the average cost per unit?

Key term

Define total utility.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What does the word marginal mean in economics?

    Model answer

    It refers to the change in a total that results from producing or consuming one more unit.

  2. 2

    Define total utility.

    Model answer

    The overall satisfaction a consumer gains from consuming a given quantity of a good over a period of time.

  3. 3

    Define marginal utility.

    Model answer

    The additional satisfaction gained from consuming one more unit of a good.

  4. 4

    State the law of diminishing marginal utility.

    Model answer

    As successive units of a good are consumed within a given period, the satisfaction gained from each extra unit falls.

  5. 5

    Total utility from 3 units is 27 utils and from 4 units is 32 utils. Calculate the marginal utility of the fourth unit.

    Model answer

    Marginal utility is 32 − 27 = 5 utils.

  6. 6

    The marginal utilities of the first four units are 12, 9, 6 and 3 utils. What is the total utility from four units?

    Model answer

    Total utility is 12 + 9 + 6 + 3 = 30 utils.

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Introduction to Microeconomics
Microeconomics: The Role of Markets
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