Production Possibility Diagrams

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AP Macroeconomics › Production Possibility Diagrams

Questions 1 - 10
1

Which of the following explain why a production possibilities frontier would be bowed outward?

Increasing opportunity costs of producing more goods

Constant opportunity costs of producing more goods

Decreasing opportunity costs of producing more goods

Increasing and then decreasing opportunity costs of producing more goods

None of the other answers

Explanation

The bowed-outward shape of the PPF represents increasing opportunity costs of production because it indicates that it is becoming more and more costly to produce the good on the x-axis. This higher cost is represented by the increasingly steep slope of the PPF. The slope of the PPF corresponds to the costs of producing an extra unit of X. The steeper the slope, the steeper the cost.

2

Which of the following explain why a production possibilities frontier would be bowed outward?

Increasing opportunity costs of producing more goods

Constant opportunity costs of producing more goods

Decreasing opportunity costs of producing more goods

Increasing and then decreasing opportunity costs of producing more goods

None of the other answers

Explanation

The bowed-outward shape of the PPF represents increasing opportunity costs of production because it indicates that it is becoming more and more costly to produce the good on the x-axis. This higher cost is represented by the increasingly steep slope of the PPF. The slope of the PPF corresponds to the costs of producing an extra unit of X. The steeper the slope, the steeper the cost.

3

Which of the following explain why a production possibilities frontier would be bowed outward?

Increasing opportunity costs of producing more goods

Constant opportunity costs of producing more goods

Decreasing opportunity costs of producing more goods

Increasing and then decreasing opportunity costs of producing more goods

None of the other answers

Explanation

The bowed-outward shape of the PPF represents increasing opportunity costs of production because it indicates that it is becoming more and more costly to produce the good on the x-axis. This higher cost is represented by the increasingly steep slope of the PPF. The slope of the PPF corresponds to the costs of producing an extra unit of X. The steeper the slope, the steeper the cost.

4

Which of the following best explains why a production possibilities frontier would have increasing opportunity costs as we move along its length?

The resources/factors of production become less and less suitable for the new production mix

It is generally more costly for a country to produce capital goods witha fixed number of resources

It is generally more costly for a country to produce consumer goods with a fixed number of resources

Moving along the production possibilities frontier requires an increase in the resources available to a country

None of the other answers

Explanation

The increasing opportunity costs as you move along a PPF are a result of the resources that are more specialized in the production of one good being used to produce the other good. These resources become less and less productive leading to higher costs. If the two goods are cars and burgers, the more burgers you start to make, the more car mechanics you have to start using to make these burgers (since your resources are fixed). The less productive car mechanics (that is, in the production of burgers) will lead to higher production costs. This is due to the fact that they will earn the same hourly wage as the burger specialists, but produce fewer burgers per hour. The cost of burger production progressively goes up.

5

Which of the following best explains why a production possibilities frontier would have increasing opportunity costs as we move along its length?

The resources/factors of production become less and less suitable for the new production mix

It is generally more costly for a country to produce capital goods witha fixed number of resources

It is generally more costly for a country to produce consumer goods with a fixed number of resources

Moving along the production possibilities frontier requires an increase in the resources available to a country

None of the other answers

Explanation

The increasing opportunity costs as you move along a PPF are a result of the resources that are more specialized in the production of one good being used to produce the other good. These resources become less and less productive leading to higher costs. If the two goods are cars and burgers, the more burgers you start to make, the more car mechanics you have to start using to make these burgers (since your resources are fixed). The less productive car mechanics (that is, in the production of burgers) will lead to higher production costs. This is due to the fact that they will earn the same hourly wage as the burger specialists, but produce fewer burgers per hour. The cost of burger production progressively goes up.

6

Which of the following best explains why a production possibilities frontier would have increasing opportunity costs as we move along its length?

The resources/factors of production become less and less suitable for the new production mix

It is generally more costly for a country to produce capital goods witha fixed number of resources

It is generally more costly for a country to produce consumer goods with a fixed number of resources

Moving along the production possibilities frontier requires an increase in the resources available to a country

None of the other answers

Explanation

The increasing opportunity costs as you move along a PPF are a result of the resources that are more specialized in the production of one good being used to produce the other good. These resources become less and less productive leading to higher costs. If the two goods are cars and burgers, the more burgers you start to make, the more car mechanics you have to start using to make these burgers (since your resources are fixed). The less productive car mechanics (that is, in the production of burgers) will lead to higher production costs. This is due to the fact that they will earn the same hourly wage as the burger specialists, but produce fewer burgers per hour. The cost of burger production progressively goes up.

7

Use the following diagram to answer the question below

Ppf

Which of the following points represents the best production outcome for an economy looking for long-term, sustainable growth?

There is insufficient information to answer the question

Both and would be equally suitable as they represent points of productive efficiency for the economy

Explanation

would be the most appropriate point since it has a higher quantity of capital goods than point . Capital goods have a greater impact on the long term growth of an economy.

8

Use the following diagram to answer the question below

Ppf

Which of the following points represents the best production outcome for an economy looking for long-term, sustainable growth?

There is insufficient information to answer the question

Both and would be equally suitable as they represent points of productive efficiency for the economy

Explanation

would be the most appropriate point since it has a higher quantity of capital goods than point . Capital goods have a greater impact on the long term growth of an economy.

9

Use the diagram below to answer the following question:

Ppf growth in one good

Which of the following best explains the production possibilities diagram shown?

A technological improvement that makes it cheaper to produce consumer goods

An increase in the size of the labor force

An economic boom

A shift in preferences of the society away from capital goods and towards consumer goods

None of the other answers

Explanation

The diagram shows an increase in the potential productive capacity of the consumer good production without a corresponding increase in the productive capacity of capital good production. The best answer then is that whatever change happened affected only the capacity to produce consumer goods. Labour force increases would increase the capacity to produce both goods, and so would an economic boom.

10

Use the diagram below to answer the following question:

Ppf growth in one good

Which of the following best explains the production possibilities diagram shown?

A technological improvement that makes it cheaper to produce consumer goods

An increase in the size of the labor force

An economic boom

A shift in preferences of the society away from capital goods and towards consumer goods

None of the other answers

Explanation

The diagram shows an increase in the potential productive capacity of the consumer good production without a corresponding increase in the productive capacity of capital good production. The best answer then is that whatever change happened affected only the capacity to produce consumer goods. Labour force increases would increase the capacity to produce both goods, and so would an economic boom.

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