Chapter 21: Consumer Behavior and Utility Maximization Extra Multiple Choice Questions For Review
Chapter 21: Consumer Behavior and Utility Maximization Extra Multiple Choice Questions For Review
2. The reason the substitution effect works to encourage a consumer to buy less of a
product when its price increases is:
A) the real income of the consumer has been increased.
B) the real income of the consumer has been decreased.
C) the product is now relatively more expensive than it was before.
D) other products are now relatively more expensive than they were before.
3. George consumes only two goods, pizza and compact discs. Both are normal goods
for George. Suppose the price of pizza decreases. George's consumption of compact
discs will:
A) increase due to the income effect.
B) increase due to the substitution effect.
C) increase due to a negative income elasticity.
D) remain unchanged, since the income elasticity of pizza is greater than 0.
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6. Which best expresses the law of diminishing marginal utility?
A) The more consumption of a product, the smaller is the total and marginal utility
from the consumption.
B) The less consumption of a product, the greater is the total and marginal utility of
the consumption.
C) The more consumption of a product, the smaller is the marginal utility from
consuming an additional unit.
D) The more consumption of a produc t, the smaller is the total and marginal utility
from the consumption.
8. Children who refuse to eat Brussels sprouts at dinner are making the statement that
the marginal utility of Brussels sprouts is:
A) zero. C) positive, but decreasing.
B) negative. D) less than the total utility.
10. A consumer with a fixed income will maximize utility when each good is purchased
in amounts such that the:
A) total utility is the same for each good.
B) marginal utility of each good is maximized.
C) marginal utility per dollar spent is the same for all goods.
D) marginal ut ility per dollar spent is maximized for each good.
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12. If you know that the marginal utility per dollar spent on product Alpha is less than the
marginal utility per dollar spent on product Beta, consumers who spend all their
income on these two products can:
A) maximize total utility but not marginal utility.
B) maximize marginal utility but not total utility.
C) increase total utility by buying more of Beta and less of Alpha.
D) increase total utility by buying more of Alpha and less of Beta.
Answer the next question(s) based on the table below showing the marginal utility schedules
for product X and product Y for a hypothetical consumer. The price of product X is $4 and
the price of product Y is $2. The income of the consumer is $20.
Product X Product Y
Quantity MUx Quantity MUy
1 32 1 24
2 28 2 20
3 24 3 16
4 20 4 12
5 16 5 8
13. Refer to the above table. If the consumer can only buy product X, how much will the
consumer buy and what will be the total utility?
A) 4X and 20 B) 4X and 104 C) 5X and 16 D) 5X and 120
14. Refer to the above table. If the consumer buys both product X and product Y, how
much will the consumer buy of each to maximize utility?
A) 4X and 2Y B) 3X and 4Y C) 4X and 3Y D) 5X and 3Y
15. Refer to the above table. When the consumer purchases the utility- maximizing
combination of product X and product Y, total utility will be:
A) 72. B) 84. C) 136. D) 156.
16. A consumer is in equilibrium and is spending income in such a way that the marginal
utility of product X is 40 units and Y is 16 units. The unit price of X is $5. The price
of Y is:
A) $1 per unit. B) $2 per unit. C) $3 per unit. D) $4 per unit.
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Answer Key -- ch21
1. A
2. C
3. A
4. C
5. D
6. C
7. B
8. B
9. A
10. C
11. C
12. C
13. D
14. B
15. D
16. B
17. C
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