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Resource Markets



Multiple Choice
Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
 

1. 

The resource market is different from the product market because
a.
in the resource market, firms don't maximize profit
b.
in the resource market, households don't maximize utility
c.
in the resource market, firms are demanders and households are suppliers
d.
supply and demand do not apply in the resource market
e.
supply and demand do not apply in the product market
 

2. 

An increase in the demand for shoemakers will increase the demand for shoes.
a.
True
b.
False
 

3. 

A firm's demand for a resource is a(n)
a.
final demand
b.
derived demand
c.
secondary demand
d.
induced demand
e.
marginal demand
 

4. 

If the price of a resource increases, other things constant, less of that resource will be hired because
a.
producers will substitute away from that resource
b.
producers fear starting a trend toward higher resource prices
c.
the demand curve for the product will shift to the left
d.
highly paid resources don't produce as much
e.
it makes other resources look expensive as well
 

5. 

The market demand curve for a resource is the
a.
horizontal sum of the demand curves for that resource in all its various uses
b.
difference among the demand curves for that resource in all its various uses
c.
demand for that resource in its best use
d.
sum of the demand curves for that resource in its best two uses
e.
vertical sum of the demand curve for that resource in all its various uses
 

6. 

As a result of the decline in the demand for beef in the United States, the demand for cattle ranchers has
a.
also decreased because the demand for cattle ranchers is a derived demand
b.
increased because the demand for cattle ranchers is a derived demand
c.
also decreased because the supply of cattle ranchers has increased
d.
increased because the supply of cattle ranchers has increased
e.
increased because the supply of cattle ranchers has decreased
 

7. 

In general, a market supply curve of a resource is
a.
downward sloping
b.
upward sloping
c.
horizontal at the market price
d.
vertical
e.
determined by firms
 

8. 

As the relative price paid to a resource in a particular use rises,
a.
resources will be drawn from lower-valued uses to higher-valued uses
b.
resources will be drawn from higher-valued uses to lower-valued uses
c.
resources will generally remain where they are currently employed
d.
the supply of that resource will shift to the right
e.
the supply of that resource will shift to the left
 

9. 

We see permanent price differentials in land because
a.
the demand for land is high
b.
land has few uses
c.
location is the inherent quality that often determines its value
d.
real estate brokers are inefficient
e.
land is not traded in free markets
 

10. 

Permanent resource price differentials are caused by
a.
differences in resource quality
b.
differences in the time and training required to perform the job
c.
differences in nonmonetary aspects of the job
d.
a lack of resource mobility
e.
all of the above
 

11. 

If all of the returns to a resource are in the form of economic rent,
a.
the price of that resource is determined exclusively by supply
b.
the price of that resource is determined exclusively by demand
c.
the price and quantity of that resource are determined exclusively by supply
d.
the price and quantity of that resource are determined exclusively by demand
e.
the equilibrium price is zero
 

12. 

Gooey Flakes is the only ready-to-eat cereal that has chocolate syrup injected into each flake. The machine that injects the syrup into the flakes can do nothing else. Which of the following is true?
a.
All of the machine's earnings are economic rent.
b.
All of the machine's earnings are opportunity cost.
c.
The supply curve for this machine is horizontal.
d.
The demand curve for this machine is horizontal.
e.
The demand curve for this machine is vertical.
 
 
resourcepractice_files/i0140000.jpg
 

13. 

In Exhibit 0168, opportunity cost at equilibrium equals
a.
$40
b.
$80
c.
$160
d.
$16
e.
$8
 
 
resourcepractice_files/i0160000.jpg
 

14. 

In Exhibit 0169, the 100th unit of the resource is earning a wage rate of
a.
$10, all of which is economic rent
b.
$10, none of which is economic rent
c.
$4, all of which is economic rent
d.
$4, none of which is economic rent
e.
$10, some of which is economic rent
 

15. 

In Exhibit 0169, opportunity costs at equilibrium equal
a.
$40
b.
$60
c.
$100
d.
$700
e.
$300
 

16. 

The more elastic the supply of a resource,
a.
the greater is economic rent as a proportion of total earnings
b.
the greater is opportunity cost as a proportion of total earnings
c.
the fewer alternative uses the resource has
d.
the greater the derived demand for the resource
e.
the lower the derived demand for the resource
 

17. 

Marginal revenue product is defined as the
a.
change in total output that results from the employment of an additional unit of a resource
b.
change in total product that results from the employment of an additional unit of a resource
c.
change in total revenue that results from the employment of an additional unit of a resource
d.
change in resource employment that results from a change in total output
e.
change in marginal revenue that results from a change in the employment of an additional unit of a resource
 

18. 

In a perfectly competitive labor market, a profit-maximizing firm will hire labor up to the point where the
a.
wage rate = MRC
b.
wage rate < MRP
c.
wage rate = MRP
d.
wage rate > MRP
e.
wage rate = MP
 

19. 

A firm's marginal resource cost curve is
a.
horizontal only if the firm is a price taker in the product market
b.
horizontal only if the firm is a price taker in the resource market
c.
vertical only if the firm is a price taker in the product market
d.
vertical only if the firm is a price taker in the resource market
e.
horizontal only if the firm is a price taker in both the product and resource markets
 

20. 

A firm produces in a perfectly competitive market and hires labor in a perfectly competitive labor market. The firm hires four workers, the marginal product of the fourth worker is 4, and the wage rate is $40. The firm produces 100 units of the product, which sell for a price of $10. This firm is
a.
maximizing profit when it hires four workers
b.
not maximizing profit and should hire more workers to increase profit
c.
not maximizing profit and should hire fewer workers to increase profit
d.
not maximizing profit when it produces 100 units of the product and should increase production to increase profit
e.
not maximizing profit when it produces 100 units of the product and should decrease production to increase profit
 

21. 

Suppose a firm is a price searcher in the product market and hires labor in a perfectly competitive labor market. The firm hires four workers, the marginal product of the fourth worker is 4, and the wage rate is $40. The firm produces 100 units of the product, which sell for a price of $10 each. This firm is
a.
maximizing profit when it hires four workers
b.
not maximizing profit and should hire more workers to increase profit
c.
not maximizing profit and should hire fewer workers to increase profit
d.
maximizing profit when it produces 100 units of the product
e.
not maximizing profit when it produces 100 units of the product and should increase production to increase profit
 

22. 

Suppose a firm is a price searcher in the product market and hires labor in a perfectly competitive labor market. If the wage rate is $20, the marginal product of the last worker hired is 5, and the firm is hiring the profit-maximizing amount of labor, then the marginal revenue from the last unit of output must be
a.
$1
b.
$1.50
c.
$4
d.
$5
e.
$20
 

23. 

A profit-maximizing firm will hire an additional unit of a resource as long as the
a.
marginal product of the resource is greater than the marginal resource cost
b.
marginal product of the resource is less than the marginal resource cost
c.
marginal revenue product of the resource is greater than the marginal resource cost
d.
marginal revenue product of the resource is less than the marginal resource cost
e.
price of the resource is less than the marginal resource cost
 

24. 

Unemployment among architects in the United States
a.
increased their wages
b.
drove many architects back to graduate school
c.
is especially severe among those who design health-care facilities
d.
was lower in 1991 than it had been in a decade
e.
is unaffected by real estate prices
 

25. 

If MRPlabor/MRClabor > MRPcapital/MRCcapital, then the firm should
a.
hire more labor
b.
substitute capital for labor
c.
not change anything
d.
buy more capital
e.
decrease the amount of labor
 



 
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