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Unit5 [BU224 Assignment Template]
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Unit 5 Assignment: Elasticity of Demand and Consumer Surplus
Name:
Course Number and Section:
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 name_first name_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 6th edition 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.
NOTE:
Before attempting to complete the Unit 5 Assignment, it is strongly recommended that you complete the TWO Learning Activities associated with this Assignment. The links to the Learning Activities are found within the course by selecting “Content”, then on “Unit 5”, then on “Assignment”, and then on “Unit 5 Assignment.” The links appear within the paragraph entitled “Learning Activity.”
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:
BU224-5: Examine 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
a. Using the midpoint method (show your work), calculate the price elasticity of demand when the price of a barrel of gosum berries rises from $10 to $20. What kind of elasticity is this value that you computed for the price elasticity of demand and what does it mean for how demand will change based on a change in price within this price range? (10 points)
b. Using the midpoint method (show your work), calculate the price elasticity of demand when the price of a barrel of gosum berries rises from $70 to $80. What kind of elasticity is this value that you computed for the price elasticity of demand and what does it mean for how demand will change based on a change in price within this price range? (10 points)
c. Notice that the estimates from (a) and (b) above are different. Why do price elasticity of demand estimates change along the demand curve? (10 points)
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. Her available budget was $19.00.
Downloads of
mu (score) from
1 to 100
Price of each
$3.00
Money spent on
Downloads of
mu (score) from 1 to 100
Price of each
$3.00
Money spent on
Total Money
Total Budget
music
mu
mu/$
music
videos
mu
mu/$
videos
Spent
Remaining
1st
?
?
$3.00
1st
?
?
$3.00
$6.00
$13.00
2nd
?
?
2nd
45
15
$3.00
$12.00
$7.00
3rd
60
20
$3.00
3rd
$15.00
$4.00
4th
4th
Total money spent on music
$9.00
Total money spent on videos
$6.00
$15.00
$4.00
a. 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. (3 points)
b. Should Matilda consume one more video download, to move her closer to her optimum utility? Explain your answer. (3 points)
c. Should Matilda consume one less music download and one more video download, to move her closer to her optimum utility? Explain your answer. (3 points)
d. Should Matilda consume one more music download, to move her closer to her optimum utility? Explain your answer. (3 points)
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 movie rentals
Willingness to pay each rental
1st
$7
2nd
$6
3rd
$5
4th
$4
5th
$3
6th
$2
7th
$1
8th
$0
a. If 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. (5 points)
b. If 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. (5 points)
c. If the Xanadu online service offers as many movie rentals as the customer wants to download, all for a one-time fee of $25.00, how many movie rentals will Brandon download and how much consumer surplus will Brandon receive? Explain your answer. (5 points)
d. If the Xanadu online service offers as many movie rentals as the customer wants to download, all for a one-time fee of $35.00, how many movie rentals will Brandon download and how much consumer surplus will Brandon receive? Explain your answer. (5 points)
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 fee for all the downloads that the customer wanted? (4 points)
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? (6 points)
——————————————–
References:
Unit 5 Assignment: Elasticity of Demand and Consumer Surplus
Possible Points
Points Earned
Overall Writing:
8
Used correct file name in uploading assignment document.
1
Demonstrated concerted effort to utilize material from the textbook and/or seminars to answer questions.
3
Correctly formatted paper in 6th edition. Includes in-text citations and listed at least one reference.
3
Used standard English with few or no grammatical errors.
1
Individual Questions:
64
1.a. Correctly calculated price elasticity of demand ($10-$20), and thoroughly explained the meaning of the value calculated.
10
1.b. Correctly calculated price elasticity of demand ($70-$80), and thoroughly explained the meaning of the value calculated.
10
1.c. Correctly explained why these Dpe estimates changed at various prices?
10
2.a. Correctly determined and explained if utility was maximized at 3rd music and 2nd video.
3
2.b. Correctly determined and explained if utility was maximized at 3rd music and 3rd video.
3
2.c. Correctly determined and explained if utility was maximized at 2nd music and 3rd video.
3
2.d. Correctly determined and explained if utility was maximized at 4th music and 2nd video.
3
3.a. Correctly computed Brandon’s total movie rentals and Consumer Surplus at $3/rental.
5
3.b. Correctly computed Brandon’s total movie rentals and Consumer Surplus at $5/rental.
5
3.c. Correctly computed Brandon’s total movie rentals and Consumer Surplus at a one-time fee.
5
3.d. Correctly computed Brandon’s total movie rentals and Consumer Surplus at a one-time $35 fee.
5
3.e. Correctly determined Xanadu’s maximum one-time fee.
4
4. Correctly explained how Marginal Utility determines how newspaper and snack vending machines differ.
6
Less points deducted for late submission
Total Points
80
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