📚 Learning Guide
Calculating Deadweight Loss
easy

How does a price floor lead to deadweight loss in a market?

Master this concept with our detailed explanation and step-by-step learning approach

Learning Path
Learning Path

Question & Answer
1
Understand Question
2
Review Options
3
Learn Explanation
4
Explore Topic

Choose the Best Answer

A

It causes a surplus, reducing total welfare by preventing transactions that would occur at equilibrium.

B

It allows for more transactions to occur, increasing total welfare.

C

It eliminates consumer surplus entirely, leading to greater market efficiency.

D

It ensures all producers can sell their goods at their desired price, maximizing output.

Understanding the Answer

Let's break down why this is correct

Answer

A price floor is a minimum price set by the government for a good or service, which means that the price cannot go below this level. When a price floor is set above the equilibrium price, it can lead to a surplus of the product because suppliers want to sell more at the higher price, but consumers are not willing to buy as much. This imbalance creates deadweight loss, which is the loss of economic efficiency that occurs when the quantity of a good traded is less than what would happen in a free market. For example, if the government sets a price floor for bread at $3, but the natural market price is $2, more bread is produced than people want to buy, leading to unsold bread and wasted resources. This situation means that both consumers and producers are worse off, as opportunities for mutually beneficial trades are lost.

Detailed Explanation

A price floor sets a minimum price. Other options are incorrect because This answer suggests that a price floor helps more trades happen; This option claims that a price floor removes all consumer surplus, which is not true.

Key Concepts

Deadweight Loss
Price Controls
Market Efficiency
Topic

Calculating Deadweight Loss

Difficulty

easy level question

Cognitive Level

understand

Ready to Master More Topics?

Join thousands of students using Seekh's interactive learning platform to excel in their studies with personalized practice and detailed explanations.