Economics 101

Spring 2016
Answers to Homework #2
Due 2/23/16

Directions:
 The homework will be collected in a box before the large lecture.
 Please place your name, TA name and section number on top of the homework
(legibly). Make sure you write your name as it appears on your ID so that you
can receive the correct grade.
 Late homework will not be accepted so make plans ahead of time. Please show
your work. Good luck!

Please realize that you are essentially creating “your brand” when you submit this
homework. Do you want your homework to convey that you are competent, careful,
professional? Or, do you want to convey the image that you are careless, sloppy, and
less than professional. For the rest of your life you will be creating your brand:
please think about what you are saying about yourself when you do any work for
someone else!

1. Comparative Advantage:

Robinson Crusoe is marooned on an island and only has two sources of food: the fish
he can catch and the coconuts that he can find. Robinson spends a total of 10 hours a
day either looking for food or developing a way off the island. In two hours, he can
either catch one fish or find 3 coconuts.

a. How many coconuts can Robinson find in one day (that is, what is the maximum
number of coconuts that Robinson can find in one day)? How many fish can he
catch?
Answer:
The problem gives us how many fish he can catch and how many coconuts he can
gather in 2 hours. Since Robinson works for 10 hours total, we calculate (10 hours / 1
day)(3 coconuts / 2 hours) = 15 coconuts / day. Similarly (10 hours / 1 day)(1 fish / 2
hours) = 5 fish / day.

b. What is Robinson’s opportunity cost of gathering one coconut? What is

Robinson's opportunity cost of catching one fish?
Answer:
We calculate how many fish Robinson gives up if he wants an additional coconut:
OCcoconut = (5 fish / day) / (15 coconuts / day) = 1/3 fish / coconuts.

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We calculate how many coconuts Robinson gives up if he wants an additional fish:
OCfish = (15 coconuts / day) / (5 fish / day) = 3 coconuts / fish.

One day, Robinson meets Wilson, who is also stranded on the island. Wilson also
spends 10 hours a day catching fish and collecting coconuts. Wilson can either catch
4 fish in a day or gather 8 coconuts in a day. Wilson and Robinson would like to trade
so that they can eat more than before they met each other.

c. What is Wilson’s opportunity cost of gathering an additional coconut? What is

Wilson's opportunity cost of catching an additional fish?
Answer:
OCcoconut = (4 fish / day) / (8 coconuts / day) = 1/2 fish / coconuts.
OCfish = (8 coconuts / day) / (4 fish / day) = 2 coconuts / fish.

d. Who has the comparative advantage in gathering cocounts? Who has the
comparative advantage in catching fish? Explain your answer.
Answer:
Robinson has the comparative advantage in gathering coconuts because he has the
lower opportunity cost (Robinson gives up 1/3 of a fish while Wilson gives up 1/2 a
fish). Similarly, Wilson has the comparative advantage in catching fish.

e. When Robinson and Wilson trade, what is the range of trading prices for one fish
in terms of coconuts?
Answer:
Since Wilson has the comparative advantage in catching fish, we know that he will be
selling the fish. Wilson will only sell the fish if he can get at least 2 coconuts in return
(Wilson’s OC of catching a fish). Robinson is only willing to buy the fish if it costs
him 3 or fewer coconuts per fish (Robinson’s OC of catching a fish). Therefore, the
trading range of prices is between 2 coconuts and 3 coconuts.

2. Shifts in Supply and Demand:

For the following scenarios, plot what will happen to the supply and demand curves
for the given situation and state what will happen to the equilibrium price and
quantity. Assume that each market is initially in equilibrium and then analyze the
given scenario.

Note: In the answer key demand curves are in blue and supply curves are in green.

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a. The price of beef has risen due to an outbreak of Mad Cow Disease. Plot what
will happen to the demand of pork, a substitute in consumption for beef.
Answer:
If the price of beef increases, people will substitute away from beef and buy more
pork. This means demand for pork increases resulting in a higher equilibrium
price and quantity.

P S1

P2

P1

D2
D1
Q
Q1 Q2

b. Scientists have released a study that shows that almonds are very unhealthy. Plot
what will happen to the demand for almonds.
Answer:
If people learn almonds are unhealthy, demand will decrease at every price. This
results in a lower equilibrium price and quantity.
P S1

P1

P2

D2 D1

Q
Q2 Q1

c. Apple has improved the efficiency of the factories that produce iPhones. Plot
what will happen to the supply of iPhones.
Answer:
With improved factories, Apple can produce more iPhones at any given price
(supply increases). This will result in a lower equilibrium price but higher
equilibrium quantity.

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 P S1 S2

P1

P2
D1
Q
Q1 Q2

d. The price of fertilizer used in growing wheat has risen by 50%. Plot what will
happen to the supply of wheat.
Answer:
If the cost of an input rises, farmers will sell less wheat at any given price. So the
supply curve shifts to the left resulting in a higher equilibrium price and quantity.
P
S2 S1

P2

P1
D1

Q2 Q1
Q

e. Since the Star Wars film has come out, Star Wars action figures are now much
more popular and more companies have started to make these action figures. Plot
what will happen to the Star Wars action figure market.
Answer:
Demand increased so the demand curve shifts to the right. Supply also increased
so the supply curve shifted to the right as well. While the equilibrium quantity
increased, the price change is ambiguous. The price change depends on how much
supply and demand increased. See the graphs below to see why there is price
indeterminancy.

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 .
P S1 S2

P2
P1
D2

D1
Q
Q1 Q2

P S1 S2

D1

P1

P2
D2

Q
Q1 Q2

f. Due to shifts in tastes, fewer people read news articles. The number of news
outlets has increased due to the lower cost of disseminating news articles on the
internet. Plot what will happen to the news article market.
Answer:
Demand shifts to the left and supply shifts to the right. The new equilibrium price
falls but the equilibrium quantity is ambiguous. See the graphs below that
illustrate this idea. D1
P D2 S1
S2

P1

P2

Q
Q2 Q1

5
 D1
S1
P D2 S2

P1

P2
Q
Q1 Q2

3. Supply and Demand (Note: this problem is based on a similar one from K.
Hansen's class-many thanks!)
Suppose the market demand and market supply curves for bicycles in Madison are
given by the following equations, where P is price per bicycle and Q is quantity of
bicycles:
Market demand: P = 300 – 5Q
Market supply: P = 2.5 Q

a. Find the equilibrium price and quantity.

Answer:
Find where the two lines intersect. Setting the prices equal to each other gives us:
300 – 5Q = 2.5Q
Q* = 40
Plugging Q* = 40 back into either supply or demand gives us the equilibrium price:
P* = 100.

b. Calculate the consumer and producer surplus in equilibrium.

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 P S
300

CS

100

PS

40 60 Q

Answer:
The graph above shows the consumer surplus and producer surplus. We must find the
area of the triangles
CS = 1/2 * (base) * (height) = 1/2 * (40 - 0) * (300 - 100) = $4,000
PS = 1/2 * (base) * (height) = 1/2 * (40 - 0) * (100 - 0) = $2,000

c. Imagine a price ceiling of $50 is imposed in the market for bicycles. Given this
intervention in the market and holding everything else constant, what are the values of
the new consumer and producer surplus? What is the deadweight loss from this policy?

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 P S
300

200
CS

DWL
100

50
PS D

20 40 60 Q

Answer: If there is a price ceiling of $50, the quantity supplied will be

$50 = 2.5 Q → Q = 20 bicycles. This quantity was calculated by plugging the price into
the supply function. At Q = 20 bicycles, the price on the demand curve is P = 300 – 5
*20 = $200/bicycle. The graph above shows the CS and PS.
CS = 1/2 * (base1 + base2) * (height) = 1/2 * (300 – 50 + 200 - 50) * (20) = $4000 or CS
= (1/2)(300 - 200)(20) + (200 - 50)(20) = 1000 + 3000 = $4000
PS = 1/2 * (base) * (height) = 1/2 * (20 - 0) * (50 - 0) = $500
DWL = 1/2 * (base) * (height) = 1/2 * (200 - 50) * (40 - 20) = $1,500

d. Instead of a price ceiling, suppose that the Madison bicycle workers’ union
pushed for a price floor at $150 in the market for bicycles. What are the values of the
new consumer and producer surplus given this policy? What is the deadweight loss due
to the implementation of this policy?

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 P S
300

CS
150

75 DWL
100 PS

75
30 40
D

30 40 60 Q

Answer:
If there is a price floor of $150, the quantity demanded will be
$150 = 300 – 5Q → Q = 30. At Q = 30 bicycles, the price on the supply curve is P
= 2.5 * 30 = $75/bicycle. The graph above shows the CS, PS and DWL.
PS = 1/2 * (base1 + base2) * (height) = 1/2 * (150 - 0 + 150 - 75) * (30) = $3,375
or PS = (1/2)(75 - 0)(30) + (150 - 75)(30) = 1125 + 2250 = $3375
CS = 1/2 * (base) * (height) = 1/2 * (30 - 0) * (300 - 150) = $2,250
DWL = 1/2 * (base) * (height) = 1/2 * (150 - 75) * (40 - 30) = $375

4. Supply and Demand II (Note: this problem is based on a similar one from K.
Hansen's class-many thanks!)
Consider pumpkins sold at the local farmer's market. Suppose the demand for
pumpkins is given by Q = 100 – 2P, and the supply is given by Q = 2P - 20.
a. Find the equilibrium price and quantity.
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Answer:
Set demand and supply equal to each other:
100 – 2P = 2P – 20
4P = 120
P* = 30
Plug the equilibrium price back into the demand or supply function to get Q* =
40.

b. Calculate the consumer and producer surplus in equilibrium.

Answer:

50 S

CS

30
PS
D

10

40
Q

CS = 1/2 * (base) * (height) = 1/2 * (40 - 0) * (50 - 30) = $400

PS = 1/2 * (base) * (height) = 1/2 * (40 - 0) * (30 - 10) = $400

c. Given the above information, what is the lowest price floor that will be
effective?
Answer:
The price floor has to be greater than $30 to be effective. If it is any lower, the
competitive market equilibrium price is above the price floor.

d. Given the above information, what is the highest price ceiling that will be
effective?
Answer:
The price ceiling must be less than $30 to be effective. If it is any higher, the
competitive market equilibrium price is below the ceiling.

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 e. Suppose that the price of squash has risen 50% due to poor growing
conditions for squash. Squash is a substitute for pumpkins. What is likely to
happen to the equilibrium price and quantity in the market for pumpkins?
Answer:
Demand should increase, shifting the demand curve to the right. This will lead to
a higher equilibrium price and quantity.

5. Price Supports and Guarantees

The market demand for economics textbooks is given by P = 300 – 2Q and the
supply of textbooks is given by P = 2Q + 20.

a. What is the equilibrium price and quantity?

Answer:
Set demand and supply equal to each other:
300 – 2Q = 2Q + 20
4Q = 280
Q* = 70
Plug the equilibrium quantity back into the demand or supply function to get:
P* = $160 per textbook

b. Calculate the value of consumer and producer surplus when this market is in
equilibrium.

Answer:

P S
300

CS

160
PS

D
20

70 Q

CS = 1/2 * (base) * (height) = 1/2 * (70 - 0) * (300 - 160) = $4,900

PS = 1/2 * (base) * (height) = 1/2 * (70 - 0) * (160 - 20) = $4,900

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c. Suppose the government promises to buy textbooks at $180 per textbook.
How many textbooks will the government buy? How much will the
government spend on textbooks?

Answer:
S

P
300

CS

180
160

20

60 70 80 Q

Answer:
If the government will buy books at $180 per textbook, it is similar to having
a price floor at $180. At $180, consumers will buy Q = 150 – P/2 = 60 books.
The publishers will supply Q = -10 + P/2 = 80 textbooks. The excess supply
of textbooks is purchased by the government. The government buys 80 – 60 =
20 textbooks. Therefore, the government spent ($180 per textbook) * (20
textbooks) = $3,600 on textbooks.

d. Given the government policy described in (c), how many textbooks will
consumers buy? What is the value of consumer surplus? Will consumers like
the price guarantee?
Answer:
In part (c), we calculated how many textbooks consumers will buy when there
is a price guarantee of $180 per textbook: 60 textbooks.
CS = 1/2 * (base) * (height) = 1/2 * (60 - 0) * (300 - 180) = $3,600
Consumers will not like this outcome because their surplus went down from
$4,900 to $3,600.

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e. Return to the original situation and now suppose that the government gives a
$20 subsidy to the publisher for every textbook sold. Given this new policy,
how many textbooks will be sold and what will be the equilibrium price?

Answer:
S1

P
300 S2

CS

160
150

D
20

70 75 Q

Answer: If the government offers $20 for each textbook sold, the supply curve
will shift down because the publishers are willing to sell any quantity of books
for $20 dollars cheaper since the government is paying them that difference.
So the supply curve becomes P = 2Q. Solving for the new market equilibrium:
2Q = 300 – 2Q
4Q = 300
Q* = 75 textbooks
Plug the equilibrium quantity back into the demand or supply function to get:
P* = $150 per textbook

f. Given the subsidy program described in (e), how much money will the
government spend when implementing this program?
Answer:
The government has to pay publishers $20 for every textbook sold. Since 75
textbooks are sold, the government spends ($20 per textbook) * (75 textbooks)
= $1,500.

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 g. Given the subsidy program described in (e), what is the value of consumer
surplus? Do consumers prefer the subsidy program over the price guarantee
program? Explain your answer fully.

Answer:
CS = 1/2 * (base) * (height) = 1/2 * (75 - 0) * (300 - 150) = $5,625
The consumer surplus of $5,625 is greater than the value of consumer surplus
with the price guarantee ($3,600 as we calculated in part (d)). Therefore,
consumers prefer the subsidy program over the price guarantee program.

6. Price Subsidies:
Suppose the market demand for a taxi ride to the airport is given by P = 20 – Q
and the supply of taxi rides to the airport is given by P = 3Q.

a. What is the equilibrium price and quantity in the market for taxi rides to the
airport?
Answer:
Set demand and supply equal to each other:
20 – Q = 3Q
4Q = 20
Q* = 5 taxi rides
Plug the equilibrium quantity back into the demand or supply function to get:
P* = 15 per taxi ride

b. Calculate the value of consumer and producer surplus when this market is in
equilibrium.

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 Answer:
P
20 S

CS

15

PS

5 Q

CS = 1/2 * (base) * (height) = 1/2 * (5 - 0) * (20 - 15) = 25/2 = $12.50

PS = 1/2 * (base) * (height) = 1/2 * (5 - 0) * (15 - 0) = 75/2 = $37.50

c. Suppose the government now offers consumers $4 to consumers for each taxi
ride taken. What is the new equilibrium price and quantity?

Answer:

P S
24

18
15

D2

D1

5 6 Q

Answer:
If the government offers $4 for each taxi ride taken, the demand curve will
shift up because the consumers will now be willing to spend an addition $4

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 per taxi ride since the government is paying them that difference. So the
demand curve becomes P = 24 - Q. Solving for equilibrium:
24 – Q = 3Q
4Q = 24
Q* = 6 taxi rides
Plug the equilibrium quantity back into the demand or supply function to get:
P* = 18 per taxi ride

d. Given the government program described in (c), how much money does the
government spend on this program?
Answer:
With 6 taxi rides taken, the government must pay consumers a total of ($4 per
taxi ride) * (6 taxi rides) = $24.

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