Unit 5 Assignment: Elasticity of Demand and Consumer Surplus
Name:
Course Number and Section: AB224–0X
Date:
General Instructions for all Assignments
1. Unless specified differently by your course instructor, save this assignment template to your computer with the following file naming format: Course number_section number_Last_First_unit number
2. At the top of the template, insert the appropriate information: Your Name, Course Number and Section, and the Date
3. Insert your answers below, or in the appropriate space provided for in the question. Your answers should follow APA format with citations to your sources and, at the bottom of your last page, a list of references. Your answers should also be in Standard English with correct spelling, punctuation, grammar, and style (double spaced, in Times New Roman, 12–point, and black font). Respond to questions in a thorough manner, providing specific examples of concepts, topics, definitions, and other elements asked for in the questions.
4. Upload the completed Assignment to the appropriate Dropbox.
5. Any questions about the Assignment, or format questions, should be directed to your course instructor.
Assignment
In this Assignment, you will calculate the Price Elasticity of Demand, demonstrate a firm understanding of consumer choices based on differing marginal utilities, consumer surplus, and how the buying choice and amount of consumer surplus changes based on various pricing schemes.
In this Assignment, you will be assessed on the following outcome:
AB224-5: Demonstrate how the concept of utility affects purchasing decisions by individuals and consumer surplus.
Questions
1. The accompanying table shows the price and monthly demand for barrels of gosum berries in Gondwanaland.
| Price of gosum berries per barrel | Native Demand for gosum berries per month |
|---|---|
| $100 | 0 |
| $90 | 100 |
| $80 | 200 |
| $70 | 300 |
| $60 | 400 |
| $50 | 500 |
| $40 | 600 |
| $30 | 700 |
| $20 | 800 |
| $10 | 900 |
| $0 | 1000 |
Using the midpoint method (show your work), calculate the price elasticity of demand when the price of barrel of gosum berries rises from $10 to $20. What does this estimate imply about the price elasticity of demand of gosum berries?
Midpoint= (10-20)/ (10+20)/2 divide by (900-800)/ (900+800)/2
= -(2/3)*(17/2)
= 5.66%. The PED here is more than one, meaning the demand of gossum berries here is elastic.
Using the midpoint method (show your work), calculate the price elasticity of demand when the price of barrel of gosum berries rises from $70 to $80. What does this estimate imply about the price elasticity of demand of gosum berries?
Midpoint= (70-80)/(70+80)/2 divide by (300-200)/(300+200)/2
= (2/15)*(5/2)
= 0.33%. When the PED is less than it means the demand at this level is
Inelastic.
Notice that the estimates from (a) and (b) above are different. Why do price elasticity of demand estimates change along the demand curve?
The PED is different along the demand curve because of the midpoint. PED above the midpoint is elastic and those below are inelastic.
2. Matilda is downloading music and videos from an online site. She is currently buying three music downloads that cost $3 each and two video downloads that also cost $3 each. The table below indicates what she reports as the marginal utility of the last music download and of the last video download in this combination of purchases.
| Quantity | Price per Download | MU per download | |
| Music downloads | 3 | $3 | 60 |
| Video downloads | 2 | $3 | 45 |
As an assignment for her Microeconomics course, Matilda used the marginal utilities that she gave to her 3rd music download and her 2nd video download to complete the Experiment Tally Sheet below.
A consumer maximizes utility when the last dollar spent on any good generates the same satisfaction as the last dollar spent on every other good. Is Matilda maximizing her utility? Explain your answer.
Based on the indicated utility of the last download, Matilda’s utility is not being maximized because the marginal utility per dollar for each item is Not equal. [Downloads = 20 (60 / $3) and Videos = 15 (45 / $3)]. Too much of one thing will cause diminishing marginal utility.
Should Matilda consume one more video download, to move her closer to her optimum utility? Explain your answer.
Yes he should consume one more video as this will bring his consumption rate or his MU/$ closer to 20, which is her current maximizing utility or even more.
Should Matilda consume one less music download and one more video download, to move her closer to her optimum utility? Explain your answer.
Consuming one less music download and one more video download would not move Matilda closer to her optimum utility, because the marginal utility of each item is not equal, nor will she have spent all her available budget.
Should Matilda consume one more music download, to move her closer to her optimum utility? Explain your answer.
When he consumes one more music download he will the utility level will start dipping because it would have reached its maximum and it will now be minimizing that is go back to 0, which will not be maximizing it but reducing it, so he should not consume more music download
3. Brandon and his family often rent movies from the new internet movie streaming service, Xanadu. The table below shows Brandon’s demand schedule for eight movie rentals that Brandon’s family is interested in watching.
| Number of internet video rentals | Willingness to pay each rental |
|---|---|
| 1st movie rental | $7 |
| 2nd movie rental | $6 |
| 3rd movie rental | $5 |
| 4th movie rental | $4 |
| 5th movie rental | $3 |
| 6th movie rental | $2 |
| 7th movie rental | $1 |
| 8th movie rental | $0 |
Brandon will be able to rent 5 movies. The surplus he gets will be the amount he will get by forking out for the five rentals which is (5*3=15), minus the amounts that he would be willing to fork out for the same rentals which will be 7+6+5+4+3= 25 therefore the surplus will be 25-15=10.
- a. If the price of the price of each movie rental from Xanadu is $3, how many movie rentals will Brandon buy and how much consumer surplus does Brandon receive? Explain your answer.
If the movies were rented out at $5 he would only be able to rent only 3 movies. The surplus would be (5*3=15) minus (7+6+5=18). Therefore, the surplus would be 3.
- b. If the price of the price of each movie rental from Xanadu is $5, how many movie rentals will Brandon buy and how much consumer surplus does Brandon receive? Explain your answer.
Brandon will only be able to rent 7 movies, because at the 8th movie he is willing to pay nothing for it meaning at the 8th rental he has no interest in watching those movies. The surplus would be 28-25=3.
- c. If the Xanadu online service offers as many movie rentals as the customer wants to download, all for on-time yearly subscription fee of $25.00, how many movie rentals will Brandon download and how much consumer surplus will Brandon receive? Explain your answer.
Brandon will still download 7 movies and he will not have a consumer surplus but a consumer deficit of 7. Which is 28-35=-7
- d. If the Xanadu online service offers as many movie rentals as the customer wants to download, all for on-time yearly subscription fee of $35.00, how many movie rentals will Brandon download and how much consumer surplus will Brandon receive? Explain your answer.
They would charge the movie downloads at $3 which is the price at which we see Brandon buys most movies
- e. If the Xanadu’s market research showed that Brandon’s demand represented what most of Xanadu’s customers wanted, what would be the most that Xanadu could charge as a one-time annual fee for all the downloads that the customer wanted?
4. Newspaper vending machines are designed so that once you have paid for one paper; you have access to all the papers in the machine and could take multiple papers at a time. However, other vending machines dispense only one item (the item you bought). You do not have access to all the goods (sodas, candy, snacks, etc.) at one time. Using the concept of marginal utility, explain why these vending machines differ?
These vending machines differ because the concept of marginal utility states that with the increase in the consumption of products the customer gains additional satisfaction (Attanasio & Jappelli, 1998). With the vending machine that only lets one get the goods they have paid for is that consumers will want more and more after consuming the first products and that will mean increased profits for them. With the one that sells newspapers, one newspaper has the same news like all the other papers, therefore after you read one newspaper you reach your maximum utility, you will not be interested to take more, and that is how the two machines differ.
——————————————–
References:
Attanasio, O. & Jappelli, T. (1998). Intertemporal choice and the cross-sectional variance of marginal utility. Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research.
Wessels, W. (2006). Economics. Hauppauge, N.Y.: Barron’s.
Howey, R. (1960). The rise of the marginal utility school, 1870-1889. Lawrence: University of Kansas Press.
Unit 5 Assignment: Elasticity of Demand and Consumer Surplus Grading Rubric:
| Content | Percent Possible | Points Possible |
|---|---|---|
| Full Assignment | 100% | 80 |
| Overall Writing: | 20% | 16 |
| Correct coversheet information at the top of 1st page | 5% | 4.00 |
| APA format for answers | 3% | 2.40 |
| Correct citations | 3% | 2.40 |
| Standard English, no errors | 4% | 3.20 |
| At least one, or more, references | 5% | 4.00 |
| Answers: provides complete information demonstrating analysis and critical thinking: | 80% | 64 |
| Individual Questions: | ||
| 1. a. – Calculate price elasticity of demand ($10-$20), Explain. | 10% | 8.00 |
| 1. b. – Calculate price elasticity of demand ($70-$80), Explain. | 10% | 8.00 |
| 1. c. – Why do these Dpe estimates change at various prices? | 10% | 8.00 |
| 2. a. Is utility maximized at 3rd music and 2nd video? Explain. | 5% | 4.00 |
| 2. b. Is utility maximized at 3rd music and 3rd video? Explain. | 5% | 4.00 |
| 2. c. Is utility maximized at 2nd music and 3rd video? Explain. | 5% | 4.00 |
| 2. d. Is utility maximized at 4th music and 2nd video? Explain. | 5% | 4.00 |
| 3. a. Brandon’s number of video rentals and Consumer Surplus at $3/rental. | 5% | 4.00 |
| 3. b. Brandon’s number of video rentals and Consumer Surplus at $5/rental. | 5% | 4.00 |
| 3. c. Brandon’s number of video rentals and Consumer Surplus at $25 subscription price. | 5% | 4.00 |
| 3. d. Brandon’s number of video rentals and Consumer Surplus at $35 subscription price. | 5% | 4.00 |
| 3. e. Xanadu’s maximum subscription price. | 5% | 4.00 |
| 4. – What are the differences between newspaper and snack vending machines (considering utility)? | 5% | 4.00 |
| Sub-total for Individual Questions: | 80% | 64 |
Place an Order
Plagiarism Free!
Create an Account
Create an account at Top Tutor Online
- Allows you to track orders.
- Receive personal messages.
- Send messages to a tutor.
Post a Question/ Assignment
Post your specific assignment
- Tutors will be notified of your assignment.
- Review your question and include all the details.
- A payment Link will be sent to you.
Wait for your Answer!
Make payment and wait for your answer
- Make payment in accordance with the number of pages to be written.
- Wait for your Answer as a professional works on your paper.
- You will be notified when your Answer is ready.