Answer: b. contribute to an understanding of how the world works.
Explanation: Economics is a branch of social sciences that studies the choices individuals and organizations make in using their limited resources to satisfy their unlimited wants. In essence, it is a study that aims to understand trade and industry as well as how people interact with these. Economists who formulate new theories work towards a better understanding of what motivates people, why they make the decisions they do and how the market reacts to the actions they take.