WAEC Economics Past Questions & Answers - Page 50

246.

Which of the following will not affect the market price of a commodity?

A.

Increase in demand

B.

Change in taste

C.

Intersection of demand and supply

D.

Increase in supply

Correct answer is C

6 Factors Affecting Price Determination of...

  • Product Cost
  • The Utility and Demand
  • Extent of Competition in the Market
  • Government and Legal Regulations
  • Pricing Objectives
  • Marketing Methods Used

247.

In order to calculate total utility (TU) from given levels of marginal utility (MU), one has to

A.

Subtract MU from TU

B.

Add MU from the various levels

C.

Multiply MU by the initial TU

D.

Divide current MU by previous MU

Correct answer is B

Marginal utility is addition made to total utility by consuming one more unit of a commodity.

Total Utility is Summation of Marginal Utilities: in order to get the total utility, you will have to sum up the additional/extra utility (MU) from the given levels of consumption.

248.

If the price of a commodity Z falls and a consumer buys less of it, then commodity Z is a

A.

Necessity

B.

Good of ostentation

C.

Normal good

D.

Giffen good

Correct answer is B

An ostentatious good is a good where demand is often greater when the price of it is higher. These are goods we buy in order to 'keep up with the Jones'. The good may give little actual utility apart from the pride of owning something very few other people own.

249.

Government revenue will increase if taxes are levied on goods with

A.

Perfectly elastic demand

B.

Fairly elastic demand

C.

Perfectly inelastic demand

D.

Unitary elastic demand

Correct answer is C

A good with a perfectly inelastic demand will always sell irrespective of the change in the price of the product. This is one way the government can increase revenue generation through taxation. 

An example of perfectly inelastic demand would be a lifesaving drug that people will pay any price to obtain.

250.

if a given change in price brings a proportionately larger change in quantity demanded, the

A.

Demand is relatively price elastic

B.

Demand is relatively price inelastic

C.

Price elasticity of demand is unitary

D.

Price elasticity of demand is constant

Correct answer is A

Price elasticity is a measure of the responsiveness of demand or supply of a good or service to changes in price. The price elasticity of demand measures the ratio of the proportionate change in quantity demanded to the proportionate change of the price.