📚 Learning Guide
Marginal Utility Per Dollar
easy

If a consumer has a fixed income and is choosing between three different meals that provide varying levels of satisfaction for their cost, which scenario illustrates the principle of utility maximization?

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Choose the Best Answer

A

Choosing the meal that provides the highest satisfaction per dollar spent.

B

Selecting the most expensive meal regardless of satisfaction.

C

Opting for the meal with the least calories.

D

Buying multiple cheaper meals without regard to satisfaction.

Understanding the Answer

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Answer

A consumer with a fixed income will pick the meal that gives the most satisfaction for each dollar spent. To see which meal maximizes utility, you divide each meal’s satisfaction by its price, giving the marginal utility per dollar. For example, if Meal A costs $10 and gives 30 units of satisfaction, its utility per dollar is 3; Meal B costs $15 with 40 units, giving about 2. 7; Meal C costs $20 with 45 units, giving about 2. 25.

Detailed Explanation

The correct choice is the one that gives the most extra happiness for each dollar spent. Other options are incorrect because Choosing the most expensive meal regardless of satisfaction assumes that price equals value; Opting for the meal with the least calories focuses on nutrition, not money use.

Key Concepts

Utility Maximization
Topic

Marginal Utility Per Dollar

Difficulty

easy level question

Cognitive Level

understand

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