Learn Before
Basic Concepts in Economics
Opportunity Cost
Opportunity cost is the value of the next best alternative that is given up when making a choice. For example, if someone chooses to go on vacation instead of taking a summer job, the opportunity cost is the value of the forgone job. If that job was boring and low-paying, the opportunity cost of the vacation would be considered low.
0
1
Tags
Social Science
Empirical Science
Science
Economics
Economy
Introduction to Microeconomics Course
CORE Econ
Ch.2 Technology and incentives - The Economy 2.0 Microeconomics @ CORE Econ
Ch.3 Doing the best you can: Scarcity, wellbeing, and working hours - The Economy 2.0 Microeconomics @ CORE Econ
The Economy 2.0 Microeconomics @ CORE Econ
Related
Market Economy Definition
Scarcity
Marginal Changes
Types and Purposes of Taxes
Market Failure
A student has a non-refundable, pre-paid ticket to a concert tonight that cost 70. The student cannot do both. If the student's only two options are to go to the concert or to babysit, what is the opportunity cost of choosing to go to the concert?
Airline Ticket Pricing Decision
A chemical factory operates near a river, producing a valuable product that is sold nationwide. As a byproduct of its manufacturing process, the factory discharges waste into the river. This significantly reduces the fish population, harming the businesses of local fishing companies that rely on the river. The factory does not compensate the fishing companies for this damage. This uncompensated impact on the fishing companies is a classic example of what economic concept?
A city government has a fixed annual budget and must decide how to allocate its funds. The city council wishes to build a new public library, upgrade the water treatment facility, and repave several major roads. The combined cost of these projects is greater than the total budget available. The necessity of choosing which projects to fund and which to postpone is a direct result of what fundamental economic concept?
Identifying the Business Cycle Phase
Productivity and Standard of Living
An individual places $1,000 in a savings account that yields a 1% annual interest rate. During the same year, the economy experiences an overall price increase of 3% for goods and services. At the end of the year, what has happened to the purchasing power of the individual's savings?
Evaluating a Congestion Charge Policy
A government decides to increase its spending on public infrastructure projects, such as building new roads and bridges. To finance this, the government increases the tax on gasoline. As a result of this decision, the government has fewer funds available to upgrade the national park system. Which of the following core economic concepts is LEAST directly illustrated by this scenario?
Match each economic scenario with the primary economic concept it illustrates.
Opportunity Cost
Mutually Exclusive Alternatives
Learn After
Comparing Alternatives in Decision-Making (Concert vs. Babysitting)
Economic Rent Definition
Decision-Making for a Taxi Driver (Australian Open vs. Work)
Choosing Between a Paid Theatre Concert and a Free Park Concert
Scarcity
Karim's Work-Leisure Choice (Figure 3.3)
Reservation Option
You have a free ticket to a concert tonight which you value at 70, or you could babysit for a neighbor and earn $40. Assuming these are your only three options and you can only choose one, what is the opportunity cost of attending the concert?
Analyzing a Summer Decision
Evaluate the following statement: A person has three mutually exclusive options for their evening: 1) Go to a concert they value at 80, or 3) Read a book they value at 70, representing the sum of the values of the concert (20) that they gave up. True or False?
For each economic decision described below, match it with the correct statement of its opportunity cost.
Analyzing the True Cost of a Decision
Explaining Opportunity Cost
A student has three mutually exclusive options for their Saturday afternoon: they can work a 4-hour shift at the campus library for 40, or take a paid online survey that will earn them a total of ____.
An individual has decided to spend their Saturday afternoon working a part-time job. To correctly identify the opportunity cost of this decision, they must follow a logical process. Arrange the following steps into the correct sequence.
The Baker's Dilemma
Alex is deciding how to spend their Friday night. They can either go to a movie, for which a ticket costs 30, or they can work a tutoring session and earn $40. These are Alex's only two options. What is the opportunity cost of choosing to go to the movie?
Economic Profit vs. Accounting Profit
Decision making under scarcity
Shareholder Investment Principle
Economic Cost
Wage as the Opportunity Cost of Free Time