Multiple-Choice Questions

Click on the answer you think is correct.


1. Harley's current wealth is $600, but there is a .25 probability that he will lose $100. Harley is risk neutral. He has an opportunity to buy insurance that would restore his $100 if he loses it.
   a) Harley would be willing to pay a bit more than $25 for this insurance.
   b) Harley would be willing to pay up to $25 for this insurance.
   c) Since Harley is risk neutral, he wouldn't be willing to pay anything for this insurance.
   d) Since Harley's utility function is not specified, we can't tell how much he would be willing to pay for this insurance.

2. If a firm moves from one point on a production isoquant to another point on the same isoquant, which of the following will certainly NOT happen?
   a) the level of output will change
   b) the ratio in which the inputs are combined will change
   c) the marginal products of the inputs will change
   d) the firm's profitability will change

3. A firm has the production function f(L,K)=12min{2L, L+K}. At the point, (L,K)=(20,50), the firm's production isoquant:
   a) has slope -1.
   b) is vertical.
   c) has a kink.
   d) has slope -2/1.

4. Which of the following production functions exhibit constant returns to scale? In each case y is output and K and L are inputs.
      (1) y = K1/2L2/3
      (2) y = 3K1/2L1/2
      (3) y = K1/2+L1/2
      (4) y = 2K+3L.
   a) 2 and 3
   b) 1,2, and 4
   c) 1,3, and 4
   d) 2 and 4

5. A firm has the production function f(L,K)=(Lb+Kb)c where b>0 and c>0. This firm will have:
   a) increasing returns to scale if and only if 2b+c>1.
   b) increasing returns to scale if and only if bc>1.
   c) increasing returns to scale if and only if b+c>1.
   d) constant returns to scale if and only if c=1.

6. A firm's production function is f(L,K)=L+2K. This means that
   a) K is twice as expensive as L
   b) MPL=1 and MPK=2
   c) the slope of each isoquant is -2/1
   d) each isoquant is horizontal


Thanks to Hal Varian for this week's questions.