. Changes in incentives Suppose the large number of bike accidents in a small town results in new legislation that requires all citizens of the town to wear s nelmets when riding. These new helmets reduce the probability of head trauma by 25% during a bike accident. While the new helmets the probability of a serious head injury resulting from a bike accident, they also incentivize cy

. Changes in incentives Suppose the large number of bike accidents in a small town results in new legislation that requires all citizens of the town to wear s nelmets when riding. These new helmets reduce the probability of head trauma by 25% during a bike accident. While the new helmets the probability of a serious head injury resulting from a bike accident, they also incentivize cy

Microeconomic Theory

12th Edition

ISBN:9781337517942

Author:NICHOLSON

Publisher:NICHOLSON

Chapter4: Utility Maximization And Choice

Section: Chapter Questions

Problem 4.12P

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EXERCISE 1Below is a production possibilities table for consumer goods (Food) and capital goods(Robots):A B C D EFood 0 1 2 3 4Robots 10 9 7 4 01. Show these data graphically. Upon what specific assumptions is this productionpossibilities curve based?2. If the economy is at point C, what is the cost of one more food? Of one morerobot? Explain how the production possibilities curve reflects the law ofincreasing opportunity costs.3. If the economy characterized by this production possibilities table and curvewere producing 3 food and 2 robots, what could you conclude about its use ofavailable resources?4. What would production at a point outside the production possibilities curveindicate? What must occur before the economy can attain such a level ofproduction?EXERCISE 2Explain how (if at all) each of the following affects the location of a country’s productionpossibilities curve:1. The quality of education increases.2. The number of unemployed workers increases.3. A new technique…
Ann can finish a project either this week or next week. The delayed rewardsare 10 in either case. (The project can be done only once or not at all).Next week is busy and the cost of finishing the project are lower thisweek. Theimmediate costs are 4 this week and 6 next week.Ann has a quasi-hyperbolic utility withδ= 1 andβ <1. Imagine that Anndoes not finish the project this week. Then she should finish it next week (A) ifβ >0.6; (B) ifβ >0.4; (C) only ifβ= 1; (D) for anyβ.11. Suppose thatβ= 0.5 and Ann correctly anticipates her choice next week. Thenshe should finish the project (A) this week; (B) next week; (C) never; (D) not enough information. Suppose thatβ= 0.5, and Ann can commit to finish the project next week (e.g.by imposing a heavy cost on herself if the project is not finished nextweek).Then she will (A) do the project this week;(B) commit to do it next week and finish it then;(C) do it next week without commitment;(D) commit and then not finish it.
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a. A young connoisseur has $600 to spend to build a smallwine cellar. She enjoys two vintages in particular: a 2001French Bordeaux (wF) at $40 per bottle and a less expensive 2005 California varietal wine (wC) priced at $8. Ifher utility is U (wF, wC))=wF2/3 w C1/3 ,then how much of each wine should she purchase?b. When she arrived at the wine store, this young oenologistdiscovered that the price of the French Bordeaux hadfallen to $20 a bottle because of a decrease in the valueof the euro. If the price of the California wine remainsstable at $8 per bottle, how much of each wine shouldour friend purchase to maximize utility under thesealtered conditions?c. Explain why this wine fancier is better off in part (b)than in part (a). How would you put a monetary value onthis utility increase?