PRACTICE QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTER 5

These are practice problems to help you master some of the concepts used in Chapter 5.   Some of these questions will appear again with still different numbers when we quiz you on Chapter 5.
(Revised Feb 1: 5:15 pm)
 
 

    1.  Ed's bakery can sell as many loaves of bread as it wishes for a
        price of $2 per loaf. To keep calculations simple, let us assume
        that Ed's only costs are hired labor. If Ed hires 1 worker, he
        can produce 200 loaves of bread per day. If hires 2 workers, he
        can produce 350 loaves of bread per day. If he hires 3 workers,
        he can produce 450 loaves of bread per day. If he hires 4
        workers, he can produce 480 loaves of bread per day. If he hires
        5 workers, he can produce 500 loaves of bread per day, and if he
        hires 6 workers, he can produce 510 loaves of bread per day. If
        he hires 7 or more workers, he can still produce only 410 loaves
        of bread per day. If Ed increases his work crew from 4 workers to
        5 workers, his daily revenue will increase by:

        (a) $100
        (b) $40
        (c) $60
        (d) $20
        (e) $120

    2.  If each worker that Ed hires must be paid a daily wage of $65,
        how many workers should he hire per day to maximize his profits?

        (a) 3
        (b) 2
        (c) 4
        (d) 5
        (e) 1

    3.  Ed's demand function for labor looks like a stairway with
        horizontal line segments one unit long at heights of:

        (a) $200, $350, $450, $480, $500, and $510
        (b) $400, $700,$900, $960, $1,000, and $1,020
        (c) $400, $300, $200, $60, $40, and $20
        (d) $400, $350, $300, $240, $200, and $170
        (e) $200, $175, $150, $120, $100, and $85
 

    4.  Dyspepsia, Minnesota has 7 greasy-spoon restaurants. Each
        restaurant can hire either one or two workers. The only costs
        that restaurants have are labor and materials. Restaurants can
        hire either 0, 1, or 2 workers. A restaurant that hires no
        workers will have no costs. After paying for its materials and
        before it pays its wages, a restaurant that hires one worker will
        have a net revenue of $125 per day and a firm that hires two
        workers will have a net revenue of $175 per day.  What is the
        highest daily wage rate at which a restaurant would be willing to
        hire two workers?

        (a) $87.50
        (b) $175
        (c) $125
        (d) $50
        (e) $25

    5.  In Dyspepsia, the total number of workers that greasy-spoon
        restaurants will be willing to hire is

        (a) 14 if the daily wage rate per worker is below $87.50,  7 if
            the daily wage rate per worker is between $87.50 and $125 and
            0 if the daily wage rate per worker is above $125.
        (b) 14 if the daily wage rate per worker is below $50, 7 if the
            daily wage rate per worker is between $50 and $125, and 0 if
            the daily wage rate per worker is above $125.
        (c) 7 if the daily wage rate per worker is below $87.50,  14 if
            the daily wage rate per worker is between $87.50 and $125 and
            0 if the daily wage rate per worker is above $125.
        (d) 7 if the daily wage rate per worker is below 62.50 and 0 if
            the daily wage rate per worker is above 62.50
        (e) 14 if the daily wage rate per worker is below 87.50 and 0 if
            the daily wage rate per worker is above 87.50

    6.  The supply function for barley is described by the equation Q=P/3
        where P is the price of barley and Q is the amount that will be
        supplied at price P.  The demand function is described by the
        equation Q=112-9P where P is the price of barley and Q is the
        amount that will be demanded. What is the competitive equilibrium
        PRICE of barley?

        (a) P=19
        (b) P=24
        (c) P=12
        (d) P=9
        (e) P=27
 

    7.  Consumers of barley are  trying to persuade Congress that the
        competitive equilibrium price of barley is too high and that
        Congress should pass a law making it illegal to buy or sell
        barley at a price higher than 9. If this law were passed, at the
        legal maximum price,

        (a) supply of barley would exceed demand by 28 units.
        (b) demand for barley would exceed supply by 28 units.
        (c) supply would equal demand at the legal maximum price.
        (d) there would be both excess demand and excess supply.
        (e) demand for barley and supply of barley would both fall by 28
            units.
 

         Answer Key

 

         1.   B
         2.   A
         3.   C
         4.   D
         5.   B
         6.   C
         7.   B