ECON 2010 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Comparative Advantage, Absolute Advantage, Opportunity Cost

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22 Nov 2016

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ECON 2010 Full Course Notes

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Absolute advantage is how much you can do by yourself. Absolute advantages are bad for trade (cid:271)e(cid:272)ause trade is (cid:374)ot a(cid:271)out who (cid:272)a(cid:374) do (cid:373)ore, it"s a(cid:271)out worki(cid:374)g together. Comparative advantage is good for trade because it gives countries a reason to trade. Opportunity cost is what you give up and is the basis of all trade. Comparative advantage is determined by the lower opportunity cost. Solving comparative advantage problems: convert to 1 (unit, give up divided by get, the side with the lower number has the comparative advantage. Example #1: usa can produce 50 wheat mexico can produce 40 wheats. Usa can produce 200 computers mexico can produce 100 computers. Comparing 4 to 2. 5 usa"s opportu(cid:374)it(cid:455) (cid:272)ost of wheat is higher tha(cid:374) me(cid:454)i(cid:272)o"s. Therefore, we should trade with mexico because we can make more computers while getting more wheat. Mexico has a comparative advantage in wheat here"s what it looks like graphi(cid:272)all(cid:455)

Related Questions

For which of the following nations does international trade account for the largest percentage of GDP?
A) Japan
B) The Netherlands
C) Germany
D) Great Britain
E) the United States

2. Suppose that workers in Transylvania can produce only two goods-- yo-yos or sweat socks. The Transylvanian currency is the dealer. In what unit is the opportunity cost of yo-yos measured?
A) dealers
B) dealers per yo-yo
C) dealers per sweat sock
D) yo-yos
E) sweat socks

3. For each watch Denmark produces, it gives up the opportunity to make 50 pounds of cheese. Germany can produce one watch for every100 pounds of cheese it produces. Which of the following is true with regard to opportunity costs in the two countries?
A) The opportunity cost of producing watches is lower in Denmark.
B) The opportunity cost of producing cheese is lower in Denmark.
C) The opportunity cost of producing watches is identical in both countries.
D) It is impossible to compare opportunity costs because the two countries use different currencies.
E) In Germany the opportunity cost of producing one pound of cheese is one watch.

4. For each bow the Romans are producing, they give up the opportunity to make 10 arrows. The Dacians are giving up producing2 bows for every 40 arrows they are producing. Which of the following is true regarding comparative advantage?
A) The Romans have a comparative advantage in producing arrows
B) The Romans have a comparative advantage in producing bows
C) The Romans have a comparative advantage in producing arrows and bows
D) The Dacians have a comparative advantage in producing arrows and bows
E) The Dacians have a comparative advantage in producing bows

5. Which of the following is not a basis for trade between two nations?
A) different skill levels of the labor forces
B) one nation's absolute advantage
C) a difference in tastes between countries
D) economies of scale
E) different capital stocks

6. The opportunity cost of producing one car in Germany is 2,000bushels of wheat, and the opportunity cost of producing one car in Canada is 1,200 bushels of wheat. The two countries can realize mutual gains from trade if they agree on terms of trade that are
A) greater than 2,000 bushels of wheat per car
B) less than 1,200 bushels of wheat per car
C) greater than 1,200 bushels of wheat per car and less than 2,000bushels of wheat per car, and Germany produces wheat
D) greater than 1,200 bushels of wheat per car and less than 2,000bushels of wheat per car, and Germany produces cars
E) greater than 1,200 bushels of wheat per car and less than 2,000bushels of wheat per car, and each country produces both goods

7. The rate at which two countries trade one good for another
A) is known as the foreign exchange rate
B) is known as the terms of trade
C) is known as the export line
D) equals the slope of the import line
E) equals the common slope of the countries' production possibilities frontiers

8. Which of the following is true?
A) International trade makes it possible for a country's consumption possibilities to exceed its production possibilities.
B) International trade requires that a country's production possibilities exceed its consumption possibilities.
C) A country's production possibilities always equal its consumption possibilities.
D) A country's consumption possibilities can never equal its production possibilities because of leakages in the system.
E) As long as there is full employment of resources, a country's production possibilities will exceed its consumption possibilities even with trade.

9. Which of the following is not a reason for international specialization?
A) some countries have educated, trained workers, while other countries have unskilled workers
B) tastes and preferences tend to be different in different countries
C) economies of scale can allow larger, specialized producers to operate at a lower average cost
D) mineral resources are often concentrated in particular countries
E) the world price of a good is determined by the world supply and demand for it

10. Ad valorem tariffs on imports are based on a percentage of an import's value; specific tariffs are based on a lump sum per physical unit imported.
A) True
B) False

raspberrychimpanzee903

Explain how the United States, being a large economy with an abundance of natural resources, labor, and capital, can benefit by not being in autarky. It was shown in the video that the United States had the comparative advantage in burgers. Using the table below, show and explain how Mexico has the comparative advantage in phones. From your answer in the previous question, what is the opportunity cost of burgers for the United States, i.e. how many burgers must the United States give up to produce one phone? What would be an agreeable terms of trade for 1 phone? At the end of the video, a supply and demand graph of the phone market for both countries was shown. Explain why Mexico exported phones to the United States. Suppose, the market for burgers was shown rather than the market for phones in the supply and demand graphs. For the United States to export burgers and Mexico to import burgers, what would world price need to be. in each country, relative to the domestic price? Lastly, explain what a tariff is and the effect it can have on burger imports for Mexico.

Question 6: Which of the following economic goals focuses on equal opportunities for education? (5 points)

-Equity

-Freedom

-Growth

-Security

Question 7: Marcel takes out student loans and works part-time to put himself through college. In time, he earns an advanced medical degree and goes to work in an understaffed city -hospital. Marcel's economic decisions benefit the goal of efficiency by (5 points)

-making his own job

-related decisions

-paying back loans to reduce the debt

-contributing to the nation's productivity

-taking advantage of equal opportunities

Question 8: Two countries produce milk and dairy products efficiently. Neither has an absolute advantage. However, Country A exports milk to Country B, and Country A imports cotton from Country B. Which of the following is inferred? (5 points)

-The opportunity cost of producing milk is lower for Country A.

-The opportunity cost of producing cotton is higher for Country B.

-Country A has a natural resource advantage in cotton.

-Country B has a natural resource advantage in milk.

Question 9: Worker hours to produce one unit of natural gas; Worker hours to produce one unit of oil; Brazil 4 9; Argentina 2 10; Mexico 3 7; United States 1 6. According to the chart, which country has the comparative advantage in oil production? (5 points)

-Brazil

-Mexico

-Argentina

-United States

Question 10: The United States can manufacture books at a much more rapid pace than manufacturers in Indonesia. Which of the following is a reason? (5 points)

-Indonesia, as a developed country, has a highly paid and experienced workforce

-Indonesia, as a developing country, has a less advanced manufacturing infrastructure

-The United States, as a developing country, has a high comparative advantage in manufacturing.

-The United States, as a developed country, has a lower cost of living than Indonesia

Question 11: A group of nations establishes a free-trade zone. What is the most likely effect? (5 points)

-Cost of trade increases

-Exports decrease

-Imports decrease

-Trade increases

Question 12: The United States may have a tariff on cotton products from China in order to (5 points)

-prevent Chinese manufacturers from losing profit because of low prices

-protect the business of the American cotton growers and manufacturers

-stop trade due to political disagreement on economic policy

-promote sales in the United States of cotton products from China

Question 13: A Chinese international salesperson hoping to increase exports to the U.S. may worry about the inflation of the U.S. dollar because the inflation may (5 points)

-increase the United States' supply of Chinese products

-decrease tariffs on Chinese products sold to the United States

-increase taxes on the United States' products sold to China

-reduce the United States' demand for Chinese products

Question 14: How would a strong U.S. dollar impact the trade of grain produced in the United States? (5 points)

-U.S. grain exports decrease

-U.S. grain exports increase

-U.S. grain imports decrease

-U.S. grain imports stagnate

Question 15: Which of these can be a result of inflation? (5 points)

-Businesses grow cautious about spending

-The government has to cut spending

-The price of household items increases

-Workers benefit from a lower cost of living

Question 16: If the inflation rate increases faster than their income, people will most likely (5 points)

-use a higher proportion of their incomes on basic needs

-spend a lower proportion of their incomes on basic needs

-get more goods and services for less money

-obtain fewer goods and services for less money

Question 17: To increase your standard of living, your wages must (5 points)

-rise faster than the inflation rate

-rise more slowly than the inflation rate

-keep pace with the inflation rate

-have a negative inflation rate

Question 18: Look at the map showing the European Union (EU) and its free-trade agreement (FTA) countries. Which is true about most current EU free-trade agreements? (5 points)

-The European Union's free-trade agreements are with all of the most developed nations in the world.

-The European Union's free-trade agreements include agreements with both developed and developing nations.

-The European Union's free-trade agreements focus on nations with access to overland trade routes

-The European Union's free-trade agreements focus on the Southern Hemisphere, as distant countries have access to goods not grown in Europe.

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ECON 2010 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Comparative Advantage, Absolute Advantage, Opportunity Cost

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