Discuss the subject matter of economics.
The subject matter of economics is sub-divided into two core branches, Micro Economics and Macro Economics. This division came into existence only after 1930 as per the suggestion by Ragnar Frisch. The domains of interest of these two branches of economics can be presented as Microeconomics is the study of individual economic units, i.e. the behaviour of consumers and firms. The study of how they utilise the given resources in the best possible manner in order to maximise their rationale objectives falls under the domain of microeconomics. It is also the study of demand and supply and how their interaction determines prices of various goods and services. Microeconomics helps in solving the three central problems of an economy. It is also called the Price theory as it primarily focuses on how prices are determined both in commodity and factor markets. In Macroeconomics we study how the economy as a whole operates. It focuses on the determination of the aggregate measures, like aggregate demand, aggregate supply and overall price level and how they change over time. It is also known as the Theory of Income and Employment as its main focus is on how income and employment levels are determined. Macroeconomics helps in understanding and solving problems like inflation, unemployment, Balance of Payments (BOP) disequilibrium, poverty, etc.
What is the supply curve of a firm in the long run?
The market price of a good changes from Rs 5 to Rs 20. As a result, the quantity supplied by a firm increases by 15 units. The price elasticity of the firm’s supply curve is 0.5. Find the initial and final output levels of the firm.
A firm earns a revenue of Rs 50 when the market price of a good is Rs 10. The market price increases to Rs 15 and the firm now earns a revenue of Rs 150. What is the price elasticity of the firm’s supply curve?
Distinguish between a centrally planned economy and a market economy.
How does the imposition of a unit tax affect the supply curve of a firm?
A consumer wants to consume two goods. The prices of the two goods are Rs 4
and Rs 5 respectively. The consumer’s income is Rs 20.
(i) Write down the equation of the budget line.
(ii) How much of good 1 can the consumer consume if she spends her entire
income on that good?
(iii) How much of good 2 can she consume if she spends her entire income on
that good?
(iv) What is the slope of the budget line?
Questions 5, 6 and 7 are related to question 4.
What is the relation between market price and average revenue of a price-taking firm?
What is budget line?
Suppose there are 20 consumers for a good and they have identical demand functions:
d(p)=10–3pd(p)=10–3p for any price less than or equal to 103103 and d1(p)=0d1(p)=0 at any price greater than 103.
Suppose your friend is indifferent to the bundles (5, 6) and (6, 6). Are the preferences of your friend monotonic?
What do you mean by the production possibilities of an economy?
How does the imposition of a unit tax affect the supply curve of a firm?
The following table gives the average product schedule of labour. Find the total product and marginal product schedules. It is given that the total product is zero at zero level of labour employment.
What are the total fixed cost, total variable cost and total cost of a firm? How are they related?
List the three different ways in which oligopoly firms may have.
How does the budget line change if the price of good 2 decreases by a rupee
but the price of good 1 and the consumer’s income remain unchanged?
A consumer wants to consume two goods. The prices of the two goods are Rs 4
and Rs 5 respectively. The consumer’s income is Rs 20.
(i) Write down the equation of the budget line.
(ii) How much of good 1 can the consumer consume if she spends her entire
income on that good?
(iii) How much of good 2 can she consume if she spends her entire income on
that good?
(iv) What is the slope of the budget line?
Questions 5, 6 and 7 are related to question 4.
If the price of a substitute Y of good X increases, what impact does it have on the equilibrium price and quantity of good X?
What would be the shape of the demand curve so that the total revenue curve is?
(a) A positively sloped straight line passing through the origin?
(b) A horizontal line?
What do the short-run marginal cost, average variable cost and short-run average cost curves look like?