📚 Learning Guide
Accounting vs. Economic Profit
easy

What is the primary difference between accounting profit and economic profit in terms of opportunity cost?

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Choose the Best Answer

A

Accounting profit considers opportunity cost while economic profit does not.

B

Economic profit includes opportunity cost, whereas accounting profit does not.

C

Both accounting and economic profit are the same regarding opportunity cost.

D

Opportunity cost is irrelevant to both accounting and economic profit.

Understanding the Answer

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Answer

The primary difference between accounting profit and economic profit lies in how they consider opportunity costs. Accounting profit is calculated by subtracting total expenses from total revenue, focusing only on explicit costs, which are the actual money spent. In contrast, economic profit includes both explicit costs and implicit costs, which represent the opportunity costs of not using resources in the next best alternative. For example, if a business owner earns $50,000 from their shop but could have made $70,000 working elsewhere, their accounting profit would be $50,000, while their economic profit would be $50,000 minus the $20,000 opportunity cost, resulting in an economic profit of $30,000. This shows that economic profit gives a fuller picture of the business's profitability by considering all potential costs.

Detailed Explanation

Economic profit takes into account opportunity cost, which is what you give up to make a choice. Other options are incorrect because This answer suggests that accounting profit considers opportunity cost, which is not true; This answer claims both profits are the same regarding opportunity cost, which is incorrect.

Key Concepts

opportunity cost
Topic

Accounting vs. Economic Profit

Difficulty

easy level question

Cognitive Level

understand

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