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Microeconomics: The Role of Markets

Positive and negative production and consumption externalities

  • 3 things to know
  • Component 01

Overview

Recall questions on diagrams and examples of negative and positive production and consumption externalities, welfare loss triangles, and internalising an externality.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Evaluation

Where does the marginal social cost curve sit relative to marginal private cost when production creates external benefits?

Evaluation

In a positive consumption externality diagram, how do the two benefit curves relate, and where does the market outcome sit?

Key term

How do the cost curves lie in a negative production externality diagram?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    How do the cost curves lie in a negative production externality diagram?

    Model answer

    The marginal social cost curve lies above the marginal private cost curve, the vertical gap between them being the marginal external cost, and the free market produces where private cost meets private benefit, beyond the social optimum.

  2. 2

    Where is the welfare loss shown in a negative production externality diagram?

    Model answer

    In the triangle between the marginal social cost and marginal social benefit curves, over the units between the social optimum output and the higher free-market output.

  3. 3

    What is an example of a negative production externality?

    Model answer

    Air and water pollution from a factory, where clean-up and health costs fall on the surrounding community rather than the firm.

  4. 4

    Where does the marginal social cost curve sit relative to marginal private cost when production creates external benefits?

    Model answer

    The marginal social cost curve lies below marginal private cost by the marginal external benefit, so the free market produces less than the socially optimum output.

  5. 5

    Give an example of a positive production externality.

    Model answer

    A firm training workers who later take those skills to other employers, raising productivity across the wider economy.

  6. 6

    In a negative consumption externality diagram, which benefit curve lies above the other, and what does that do to the quantity consumed?

    Model answer

    The marginal private benefit curve lies above the marginal social benefit curve by the marginal external cost of consumption, so the market consumes more than the optimum where social benefit meets social cost.

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