📚 Learning Guide
Marginal Utility and Budgeting
hard

How do shifts in a consumer's budget constraint affect their choice of goods as reflected in the concepts of total utility and indifference curves?

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Choose the Best Answer

A

They only affect the quantity of goods purchased but not the overall satisfaction.

B

They change the intersection points of the indifference curves with the budget line, affecting consumption choices.

C

They have no impact on the total utility derived from consumption.

D

They only affect the prices of goods without influencing consumer preferences.

Understanding the Answer

Let's break down why this is correct

Answer

When a consumer's budget constraint changes, it affects how they choose between different goods. The budget constraint shows the limit of what the consumer can afford, and a shift can mean they have more or less money to spend. If their budget increases, they can buy more of both goods, which can lead to higher total utility, or satisfaction, because they can enjoy more of what they like. Indifference curves, which represent combinations of goods that give the same satisfaction, will also shift; the consumer may move to a higher curve, meaning they can reach a higher level of satisfaction with their new budget. For example, if someone can now afford both pizza and ice cream after a raise, they might choose to buy more of each, increasing their overall happiness.

Detailed Explanation

When a consumer's budget changes, it can change where the budget line meets the indifference curves. Other options are incorrect because This idea suggests that only the amount of goods changes, not the happiness from them; This option implies that total happiness from goods stays the same.

Key Concepts

Total utility
Indifference curves
Utility and market demand.
Topic

Marginal Utility and Budgeting

Difficulty

hard level question

Cognitive Level

understand

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