Question

Billie Jean has $120 to spend and wants to buy either a new amplifier for her guitar or a new mp3 player to listen to music while working out. Both the amplifier and the mp3 player cost $120, so she can only buy one. This illustrates the basic concept that:________.

a) trade can make everyone better off
b) people face trade offs
c) rational people think at the margin
d) decisions made at the margin are not particularly important

Answer 1

B) people face trade offs

Step-by-step explanation:

Resources are scarce, and that applies to every person and every organization in the world. Even the richest person or richest organization has a certain finite amount of money, time and other resources. For example, if we decide to work 12 hours a day, we will make more money, but we will also have less time o do other activities that we like.

In this case, Billie Jean only has $120 and she wants to buy both products, but she can only buy one. Whatever product she decides to buy will leave her with $0, so if she wants to purchase the other product she will need to find a job and earn some money, or if she already has a job, she will need to work more hours.