Question

Megan and Susan are roommates. They spend most of their time studying (of course), but they leave some time for their favorite activities: making pizza and brewing root beer. Megan takes 3 hours to brew a gallon of root beer and 2 hours to make a pizza. Susan takes 7 hours to brew a gallon of root beer and 5 hours to make a pizza.

Megan's opportunity cost of making a pizza is ?
a. 2/3 gallon
b. 5/7 gallon
c. 1 1/2 gallons
d. 1 2/5 gallons
of root beer, and Susan's opportunity cost of making a pizza is ?
a. 2/3 gallon
b. 5/7 gallon
c. 1 1/2 gallons
d. 1 2/5 gallons
of root beer.
Who has an absolute advantage in making pizza, and who has a comparative advantage in making pizza?

Answer 1

1. a. 2/3 gallon
2. b. 5/7 gallon

Step-by-step explanation:

1. Megan takes 3 hours to brew a gallon of root beer and 2 hours to make a pizza.

If she makes a pizza therefore, that is 2 hours that could have been used to make a gallon of root beer. However, it takes 3 hours to make a complete gallon so in those 2 hours only;

= 2/3 gallons would have been made

2. Susan takes 7 hours to brew a gallon of root beer and 5 hours to make a pizza.

Like Megan above, the 5 hours that would be used for Pizza would have gone towards making a gallon of beer. If it takes 7 hours to make a gallon then those 5 hours would have made;

= 5/7 gallons of root beer.

3. Absolute Advantage: Megan

The person with the absolute advantage is the person that can produce more goods with the same amount of costs. Megan can make more pizza in a smaller amount of time than Susan so she has Absolute advantage.

Comparative Advantage: Megan

The person with a Comparative advantage is the one that has the lowest opportunity cost when producing a good. Megan again has a lower opportunity cost with an opportunity cost of 2/3 gallons.