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Microeconomics (Acemoglu/Laibson/List)
Chapter 7 Perfect Competition and the Invisible Hand
1) A ________ is the price at which a trading partner is indifferent between making the trade and not
doing so.
A) market value
B) reservation value
C) shadow value
D) discounted value
Answer: B
Difficulty: Easy
Topic: Perfect Competition and Efficiency
3) A buyer is willing to buy 10 units of a good at a maximum price of $10 per unit. The reservation value
of the buyer in this case is:
A) $1.
B) $10.
C) $20.
D) $100.
Answer: B
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Perfect Competition and Efficiency
1
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
5) The marginal cost and total revenue of a firm are $5 and $275, respectively. The reservation value of the
seller in this case is ________.
A) $0
B) $5
C) $55
D) $275
Answer: B
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Perfect Competition and Efficiency
6) A seller is willing to sell 5 units of a good at a minimum price of $1 per unit. The reservation value of
the seller in this case is:
A) $1.
B) $5.
C) $6.
D) $10.
Answer: A
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Perfect Competition and Efficiency
7) The equilibrium price and quantity of a good under perfect competition are determined:
A) by the intersection of the market demand and total revenue curves.
B) by the intersection of the total revenue and total cost curves.
C) by the intersection of the market demand and market supply curves.
D) by the intersection of the market supply and total revenue curves.
Answer: C
Difficulty: Easy
Topic: Perfect Competition and Efficiency
2
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
The following table displays the reservation values of eight buyers and eight sellers where each
individual wants to buy or sell a calculator.
8) Refer to the table above. If the market is perfectly competitive, the equilibrium price of calculators is:
A) $2.
B) $6.
C) $12.
D) $20.
Answer: C
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Perfect Competition and Efficiency
9) Refer to the table above. If the market is perfectly competitive, the equilibrium quantity of calculators
is:
A) 3 units.
B) 5 units.
C) 6 units.
D) 8 units.
Answer: B
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Perfect Competition and Efficiency
3
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
11) Producer surplus is the:
A) sum of a seller's reservation values and the price he finally receives.
B) difference between a seller's reservation value and the price he finally receives.
C) product of a seller's reservation value and the price he finally receives.
D) ratio of a seller's reservation value to the price he finally receives.
Answer: B
Difficulty: Easy
Topic: Social Surplus
12) If a seller's reservation value for a good is $10 and the price at which the good is sold is $15, his
producer surplus is:
A) $25.
B) $150.
C) $1.5.
D) $5.
Answer: D
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Social Surplus
13) If a seller's marginal cost is $25, and the price at which the good is sold is $15, the producer surplus is
________.
A) -$10
B) $10
C) $15
D) $25
Answer: A
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Social Surplus
14) If a seller enjoys a producer surplus of $30 when he sells a good for $79, his reservation value for the
good is ________.
A) $30
B) $49
C) $79
D) $109
Answer: B
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Social Surplus
4
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
15) If a buyer's reservation value for a good is $15 and the price at which he purchases the good is $8, his
consumer surplus is:
A) $7.
B) $1.8.
C) -$7.
D) $120.
Answer: A
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Social Surplus
16) If a buyer enjoys a consumer surplus of $25 when he purchases a good for $50, his willingness to pay
for the good is ________.
A) $2
B) $25
C) $50
D) $75
Answer: D
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Social Surplus
17) When buyers and sellers optimize in a perfectly competitive market, ________.
A) social surplus is maximized
B) social surplus is minimized
C) only consumer surplus is maximized
D) only consumer surplus is minimized
Answer: A
Difficulty: Easy
Topic: Social Surplus
5
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
19) If the producer surplus in a market for a good is $36 and the consumer surplus in the market for the
same good is $9, the social surplus in the market is ________.
A) $4
B) $27
C) $45
D) $324
Answer: C
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Social Surplus
20) Suppose a market has only one seller and only one buyer of a good. The buyer has a reservation value
of $25 and the seller has a reservation value of $15. The market price of the good is determined at $20. If
they trade, the social surplus will be ________.
A) $10
B) $20
C) $40
D) $60
Answer: A
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Social Surplus
21) Suppose a market has only one seller and only one buyer of a good in the market. The buyer is willing
to pay $50 for the good and the seller is willing to accept $15. The market price of the good is determined
at $30. If they trade, the social surplus will be ________.
A) $15
B) $35
C) $45
D) $65
Answer: B
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Social Surplus
22) For social surplus to be maximized, the ________ buyers are actually making a purchase and the
________ sellers are selling the products.
A) lowest-value; highest-cost
B) highest-value; lowest-cost
C) highest-value; highest-cost
D) lowest-value; lowest-value
Answer: B
Difficulty: Easy
Topic: Social Surplus
6
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
23) The total surplus in a market is represented by:
A) the area between the demand curve and the market price line.
B) the area between the supply curve and the market price line.
C) the area between the demand and supply curves and the price axis.
D) the area between the demand curve and the horizontal axis.
Answer: C
Difficulty: Medium
Topic: Social Surplus
24) Jack is a prospective buyer of a commodity that Jill is offering to sell. Social surplus in this scenario
can be maximized:
A) when only Jack is optimizing.
B) when only Jill is optimizing.
C) when both Jack and Jill are optimizing.
D) when neither Jack nor Jill is optimizing.
Answer: C
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Social Surplus
The following table displays the reservation values of buyers and sellers in the market for notebooks,
where each one either wants to buy or sell one notebook.
25) Refer to the table above. If the market for notebooks is perfectly competitive, the equilibrium price is:
A) $2.
B) $3.
C) $4.
D) $5.
Answer: C
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Social Surplus
7
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
26) Refer to the table above. If the market for notebooks is perfectly competitive, the equilibrium quantity
is:
A) 2 units.
B) 3 units.
C) 4 units.
D) 5 units.
Answer: C
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Social Surplus
27) Refer to the table above. If the market is perfectly competitive, what is Buyer 3's consumer surplus?
A) $0
B) -$1
C) $1
D) $2
Answer: C
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Social Surplus
28) Refer to the table above. What is Seller 3's producer surplus?
A) $1
B) $2
C) $3
D) $4
Answer: A
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Social Surplus
29) Refer to the table above. If only the two highest-value buyers and the two least-cost sellers engage in
trade, what is the social surplus?
A) $6
B) $10
C) $12
D) $20
Answer: B
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Social Surplus
8
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
30) Refer to the table above. If the six highest-value buyers and the six least-cost sellers engage in trade,
what is the social surplus?
A) $6
B) $8
C) $10
D) $12
Answer: A
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Social Surplus
31) Refer to the table above. When the price is ________ and the quantity is ________, social surplus is
maximized.
A) $8; 5 units
B) $6; 4 units
C) $4; 4 units
D) $2; 8 units
Answer: C
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Social Surplus
9
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
The following figure illustrates the demand and supply of decorative light bulbs in a perfectly
competitive market.
33) Refer to the figure above. What is the equilibrium price and quantity of the light bulbs?
A) Equilibrium price = $25, Equilibrium quantity = 0 units
B) Equilibrium price = $25, Equilibrium quantity = 15 units
C) Equilibrium price = $15, Equilibrium quantity = 15 units
D) Equilibrium price = $5, Equilibrium quantity = 15 units
Answer: C
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Social Surplus
34) Refer to the figure above. What is the consumer surplus in the market?
A) $50
B) $75
C) $100
D) $225
Answer: B
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Social Surplus
35) Refer to the figure above. What is the producer surplus in the market?
A) $50
B) $75
C) $150
D) $200
Answer: B
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Social Surplus
10
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
36) Refer to the figure above. What is the social surplus if the market is in equilibrium?
A) $50
B) $75
C) $100
D) $150
Answer: D
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Social Surplus
37) Refer to the figure above. What is the maximum possible social surplus?
A) $100
B) $150
C) $225
D) $375
Answer: B
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Social Surplus
38) The social surplus in a market is $50. If another economic agent enters the market such that the
marginal cost he incurs is $10 and the marginal benefit he receives from the trade is $5, then which of the
following statements is true?
A) The social surplus will remain the same.
B) The social surplus will increase by $5.
C) The social surplus will decrease by $5.
D) The social surplus will increase by $10.
Answer: C
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Social Surplus
11
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
40) In a competitive market equilibrium:
A) social surplus is minimized.
B) all the gains from trade are not realized.
C) there is Pareto efficiency.
D) all the firms earn positive economic profits.
Answer: C
Difficulty: Easy
Topic: Pareto Efficiency
12
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
45) $100 is to be divided among two individuals—Mary and Jenna. Which of the following allocations is
Pareto efficient?
A) Mary receives $45, and Jenna receives $45.
B) Mary receives $20, and Jenna receives $75.
C) Mary receives $1, and Jenna receives $99.
D) Mary receives $90, and Jenna receives $9.
Answer: C
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Pareto Efficiency
46) $20 is to be divided among two individuals—Gary and Jamie. Which of the following allocations is
NOT Pareto efficient?
A) Gary receives $1, and Jamie receives $19.
B) Gary receives $19, and Jamie receives $1.
C) Gary receives $8, and Jamie receives $9.
D) Gary receives $15, and Jamie receives $5.
Answer: C
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Pareto Efficiency
48) Define reservation values. If a buyer of a product has a reservation value of $10, the seller of the
product has a reservation value of $3, and the equilibrium price of the product is determined at $5,
calculate the consumer surplus and the producer surplus.
Answer: A reservation value is the price at which a trading partner is indifferent between making the
trade and not doing so. For a buyer, this is the highest price he is willing to pay for a good or service. For
a seller, it is the lowest price he is willing to accept for a good or service.
Consumer surplus = $10 - $5 = $5
Producer surplus = $5 - $3 = $2
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Perfect Competition and Efficiency
13
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
49) The following figure shows the demand and supply of a good. Calculate the social surplus from the
following figure. What is the maximum possible social surplus in this market?
Answer: Social surplus refers to the sum of consumer surplus and producer surplus.
In this figure, consumer surplus = $(1/2 × 4 × 5) = $10.
Producer surplus = $(1/2 × 4 × 5) = $10.
Social surplus = $10 + $10 = $20.
Since, in the figure, market price is determined at the point of intersection of demand and supply, it is a
free market economy that is in equilibrium. Since social surplus is maximized when a market is in
equilibrium, the maximum possible social surplus is $20.
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Social Surplus
50) Define a Pareto efficient outcome. Does it ensure equity? Explain with an example.
Answer: An outcome is said to be Pareto efficient outcome if it is not possible to make someone better off
without making someone else worse off. Pareto efficiency does not ensure equity. For example, $100 is
divided between two individuals such that one individual receives $75 and the other individual receives
$25. This allocation is Pareto efficient as it is not possible to make an individual better off without making
the other worse off, but the allocation does not represent equity.
Difficulty: Medium
Topic: Pareto Efficiency
14
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
51) The following table displays the reservation values of 10 sellers and 10 buyers in a market for cameras
where each individual wants to buy or sell one camera.
b) Social surplus is the sum of consumer surplus and producer surplus. These can be calculated as
shown in the table below.
Consumer Producer
Buyers Value ($) Surplus ($) Sellers Value ($) Surplus ($)
1 100 50 1 5 45
2 86 36 2 18 32
3 74 24 3 22 28
4 60 10 4 26 24
5 55 5 5 35 15
6 50 0 6 50 0
7 34 -16 7 65 -15
8 26 -24 8 75 -25
9 12 -38 9 85 -35
10 6 -44 10 100 -50
Social surplus when the four highest value buyers trade with the four lowest value sellers:
= $(50 + 45 + 36 + 32 + 24 + 28 + 10 + 24) = $249.
c) The social surplus when the eight highest value buyers trade with the eight lowest value sellers:
= 50 + 45 + 36 + 32 + 24 + 28 + 10 + 24 + 5 + 15 - 16 - 15 - 24 - 25 = $189.
15
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
d) The highest possible social surplus will occur at a quantity of 6 units. The social surplus when six
highest value buyers trade with the six lowest value traders:
= 50 + 45 + 36 + 32 + 24 + 28 + 10 + 24 + 5 + 15 = $269
Difficulty: Hard
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Social Surplus
7.2 Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: From the Individual to the Firm
The following figure shows the marginal cost curves of two profit-maximizing firms—firm A and firm
B—in a perfectly competitive market.
16
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
3) If firms in a competitive industry independently operate to maximize profits, the ________ are
eventually equalized across the firms.
A) total costs
B) marginal costs
C) profits
D) revenues
Answer: B
Difficulty: Medium
Topic: Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: From the Individual to the Firm
4) When two firms in a perfectly competitive market seek to maximize profit in the long run, they
eventually end up:
A) producing at a suboptimal level.
B) minimizing total cost of production.
C) earning the same level of profits.
D) producing the same level of output.
Answer: B
Difficulty: Medium
Topic: Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: From the Individual to the Firm
5) If price is greater than the average variable cost, a profit-maximizing firm should:
A) contract production until price is equal to marginal cost.
B) expand production until price is equal to marginal cost.
C) contract production until total revenue is equal to total cost.
D) expand production until total revenue is equal to total cost.
Answer: B
Difficulty: Easy
Topic: Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: From the Individual to the Firm
6) If a firm faces an average total cost of $100 and sells its product for $115, how much profit does it make
when it sells 20 units of the product?
A) $200
B) $115
C) $300
D) $800
Answer: C
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: From the Individual to the Firm
17
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
The following figure shows the marginal cost curve and the average total cost curve of a firm operating in
a perfectly competitive industry.
7) Refer to the figure above. What price does the firm face in the market?
A) $2
B) $4
C) $6
D) $8
Answer: D
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: From the Individual to the Firm
8) Refer to the figure above. At what level of output does the firm maximize profits?
A) 0 units
B) 10 units
C) 20 units
D) 30 units
Answer: D
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: From the Individual to the Firm
18
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
9) Refer to the figure above. What is the revenue of the firm when it sells the profit-maximizing level of
output?
A) $40
B) $160
C) $180
D) $240
Answer: D
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: From the Individual to the Firm
10) Refer to the figure above. What is the total cost of the firm when it produces the profit-maximizing
level of output?
A) $60
B) $120
C) $180
D) $240
Answer: C
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: From the Individual to the Firm
11) Refer to the figure above. Which of the following statements is true?
A) The firm maximizes profits if it produces 10 units of the good.
B) If the market price is $10, the firm will suffer losses.
C) If the market price is $2, the firm will make profits.
D) The firm makes maximum profits if it produces 30 units.
Answer: D
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: From the Individual to the Firm
12) Refer to the figure above. What is the maximum profit that the firm can make?
A) $30
B) $60
C) $90
D) $180
Answer: B
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: From the Individual to the Firm
19
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Scenario: There are two firms producing ball point pens in a perfectly competitive industry. The market
price of one pen is $5. Firm A has a lower marginal cost than Firm B. The following graphs illustrate the
marginal cost curves of both the firms.
13) Refer to the scenario above. If both the firms are optimizing, which of the following statements will be
true?
A) Firm B will produce more than Firm A.
B) Firm A will produce more than Firm B.
C) Both firms will produce the same quantity.
D) The quantity produced by both firms will depend on the demand for pens and not the marginal costs.
Answer: B
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: From the Individual to the Firm
14) Refer to the scenario above. The average total cost of Firm A when it produces 100 pens is $3, and the
average total cost of Firm B when it produces 50 pens is $7. At these levels of production, which of the
following statements is true?
A) Both firms incur losses.
B) Firm A incurs a loss but Firm B makes a profit.
C) Firm B incurs a loss but Firm A makes a profit.
D) Both firms make profits.
Answer: C
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: From the Individual to the Firm
15) Refer to the scenario above. If the government enforces a ban on Firm B, and asks Firm A to carry out
all the production:
A) Firm A's marginal cost is likely to decrease, but its average cost is likely to increase.
B) Firm A's marginal cost and average cost are likely to decrease.
C) Firm A's marginal cost is likely to increase, but its average cost is likely to decrease.
D) Firm A's marginal cost and average cost are likely to increase.
Answer: D
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: From the Individual to the Firm
20
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
16) Refer to the scenario above. If the government removes the ban on Firm B and both Firm A and firm B
aim at maximizing profits:
A) marginal cost of Firm A will be greater than the marginal cost of Firm B eventually.
B) marginal cost of Firm B will be greater than the marginal cost of Firm A eventually.
C) marginal cost of both firms will be equalized eventually.
D) the difference in the marginal cost of both firms will increase eventually.
Answer: C
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: From the Individual to the Firm
17) Refer to the scenario above. If both firms operate to maximize profits:
A) total cost of production is minimized.
B) total combined profits are minimized.
C) marginal cost of both firms are minimized.
D) marginal cost of both firms are maximized.
Answer: A
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: From the Individual to the Firm
18) Refer to the scenario above. If both firms operate without government intervention:
A) total costs are maximized.
B) total profits are maximized.
C) marginal revenues of both the firms are maximized.
D) marginal revenues of both the firms are minimized.
Answer: B
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: From the Individual to the Firm
19) Refer to the scenario above. Which of the following statements is true?
A) If the government restricts one of the firms to operate in the market, social surplus increases.
B) No government intervention is required to reach the optimal outcome.
C) At the optimal level of production, total costs of production are maximized.
D) Even though both firms have different marginal costs, the optimal quantity produced will be the same
for both firms.
Answer: B
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: From the Individual to the Firm
21
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
20) Which of the following statements is true?
A) Total cost of production in a perfectly competitive market can be minimized only when marginal cost
across firms in the market are different.
B) When a competitive market is allowed to operate efficiently, firms end up producing goods using the
least amount of scarce resources.
C) Under a perfectly competitive framework, a ruling authority is essentially required to dictate goals for
the betterment of society.
D) A firm interested in maximizing profits in a perfectly competitive market will produce output at a
level where marginal revenue is equal to the price and greater than the marginal cost.
Answer: B
Difficulty: Medium
Topic: Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: From the Individual to the Firm
21) What role does the invisible hand play when two firms are producing in the same competitive
industry?
Answer: When two firms are producing in the same competitive industry, the managers of both firms
will be interested in maximizing individual profits. Although both firms function independently for their
own objectives, the total cost of production will be minimized and the total profits across the two firms
will be maximized. This happens because both firms produce where marginal cost is equal to price and
eventually marginal cost across the firms are equalized. Since both firms are manufacturing at their least
cost output levels, total cost of production is minimized and social surplus is maximized.
Difficulty: Easy
Topic: Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: From the Individual to the Firm
22
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
22) The following figure illustrates the marginal cost (MC) curves of two firms operating in the same
industry. The marginal cost of Firm B is higher than the marginal cost of Firm A.
a) What is the optimal output of each firm if the market price is $15?
b) The government decides to shut down Firm B as it has a higher marginal cost than Firm A. If it does
so, and asks Firm A to produce the combined output of firms A and B, will production be efficient?
Explain your answer.
c) How does the invisible hand work in such an industry?
Answer:
a) The optimal output of each firm is determined at the point where price is equal to marginal cost, and
marginal cost is rising. Hence, optimal output for Firm A is 40 units and optimal output for Firm B is 20
units.
b) If the Government decides to suspend operations at Firm B and asks Firm A to carry out all the
production, efficiency will be lost. Total production when both firms are producing equals 60 units. Now,
if Firm B is stopped from producing and Firm A is asked to carry out the total production, it has to
produce 20 more units. The marginal cost of Firm A when it produces 60 units of the good is $35, which is
much higher than the price, and therefore it is definitely not the least-cost level of output for Firm A.
Moreover, initially Firm A was producing 40 units where ATC is below the price line. When the
government suspends operations at Firm B, Firm A has to produce the total market output and it is
forced to produce at a point where the ATC lies above the price line. Hence, Firm A which was making
profits when operating along with Firm B, will suffer losses when producing 60 units of the good alone.
c) The invisible hand will work by moving production of both firms to such levels where marginal costs
of both firms are equalized. This happens because managers of both firms will want to produce at a level
where price is equal to marginal cost. At that level of output both firms are producing the least-cost level
of output and hence total cost of production across the two firms is also minimized. When managers of
both firms work for their self-interest, they end up minimizing total costs and maximizing total profits of
the two plants combined. Thus, both firms will end up producing goods using the least amount of scarce
resources.
Difficulty: Hard
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: From the Individual to the Firm
23
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
7.3 Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: Allocation of Resources Across
Industries
2) The entry of new firms into a perfectly competitive market will cause:
A) both the equilibrium price and quantity to increase.
B) both the equilibrium price and quantity to decrease.
C) the equilibrium price to increase but the equilibrium quantity to decrease.
D) the equilibrium price to decrease but the equilibrium quantity to increase.
Answer: D
Difficulty: Easy
Topic: Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: Allocation of Resources Across Industries
3) The entry of new firms into a perfectly competitive market will cause:
A) an increase in the profitability of existing firms.
B) a decrease in the profitability of existing firms.
C) an inward shift of the demand curve of the good being produced by the firms.
D) an outward shift of the demand curve of the good being produced by the firms.
Answer: B
Difficulty: Medium
Topic: Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: Allocation of Resources Across Industries
4) In a perfectly competitive market, if market price is higher than the average total cost of production,
________.
A) firms will incur losses in the long run
B) firms will make profits in the long run
C) new firms will enter the industry
D) firms will exit the industry
Answer: C
Difficulty: Medium
Topic: Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: Allocation of Resources Across Industries
5) The incentive for new firms to enter into a perfectly competitive market is primarily the:
A) large number of existing firms in the market.
B) positive profits earned by the existing firms in the market.
C) high level of government intervention in the market.
D) large number of buyers in the market.
Answer: B
Difficulty: Easy
Topic: Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: Allocation of Resources Across Industries
24
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
6) Which of the following suggests that a competitive firm earns zero economic profits?
A) P = MC > ATC
B) P > MC = ATC
C) P = MC = ATC
D) P > MC > ATC
Answer: C
Difficulty: Easy
Topic: Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: Allocation of Resources Across Industries
25
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
10) Which of the following statements is true?
A) Production in a perfectly competitive market is efficient because resources in the market leave those
sectors in which price cannot cover their costs of production and enter those sectors where price can
cover their costs of production.
B) Production in a perfectly competitive market is suboptimal because absence of free entry and exit of
firms allows firms to specialize in only one particular industry.
C) Production in a perfectly competitive market is Pareto inefficient because the government or a central
planner carefully analyzes the needs and requirements of the society and instructs firms on what to
produce and in what quantity.
D) Production in a perfectly competitive market is Pareto efficient because the government or a central
planner carefully analyzes the needs and requirements of the society and instructs firms on what to
produce and in what quantity.
Answer: A
Difficulty: Easy
Topic: Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: Allocation of Resources Across Industries
11) A market economy produces the optimal amount of each good at least cost where:
A) P > ATC.
B) P = ATC.
C) P > AVC.
D) P = MR.
Answer: B
Difficulty: Easy
Topic: Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: Allocation of Resources Across Industries
12) In a perfectly competitive market, if market price is lower than the average total cost of production:
A) new firms will enter the market.
B) existing firms will leave the market.
C) all existing firms will earn positive economic profits.
D) all existing firms will earn zero economic profits.
Answer: B
Difficulty: Easy
Topic: Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: Allocation of Resources Across Industries
26
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
14) When existing firms leave a perfectly competitive market, it causes:
A) an increase in the profitability of existing firms.
B) a decrease in the profitability of existing firms.
C) an outward shift in the demand curve of the good being produced by the firms.
D) an inward shift in the demand curve of the good being produced by the firms.
Answer: A
Difficulty: Easy
Topic: Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: Allocation of Resources Across Industries
15) When sellers in a perfectly competitive market attempt to maximize their own profits, they:
A) eventually end up minimizing the value of total production.
B) earn positive economic profits even in the long run.
C) move scarce resources to their highest possible use.
D) eventually divert resources toward their lower valued uses.
Answer: C
Difficulty: Easy
Topic: Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: Allocation of Resources Across Industries
16) If restrictions on entry and exit of firms are introduced in free markets, ________.
A) all existing firms earn equal profits in the long run
B) existing firms incur equal losses in the long run
C) the market allocates resources efficiently
D) resources in the market are not allocated efficiently
Answer: D
Difficulty: Medium
Topic: Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: Allocation of Resources Across Industries
17) What are the key functions of equilibrium price in a perfectly competitive market?
Answer: There are three key functions of equilibrium price in a perfectly competitive market. These are:
a) Equilibrium price efficiently allocates scarce resources to market participants.
b) Equilibrium price efficiently allocates the production of goods within an industry.
c) Equilibrium price efficiently allocates scarce resources across industries.
Difficulty: Easy
Topic: Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: Allocation of Resources Across Industries
18) How do perfectly competitive markets allow for the movement of resources from less productive
industries to more productive industries?
Answer: Perfectly competitive markets are characterized by free entry and exit of firms. Whenever firms
in a particular industry are seen to earn positive economic profits, other firms are attracted to the
industry. Thus, the firms that are entering the profit-making industry bring resources from other
industries where they were not fully utilized. Similarly, when an industry is making losses, some firms
move out of the industry. This allows for the movement of resources from the less productive, loss-
making industry to other industries.
Difficulty: Medium
Topic: Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: Allocation of Resources Across Industries
27
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
19) What is likely to happen to the allocation of resources if there is a sudden increase in the demand for a
good produced by a perfectly competitive industry?
Answer: If there is an increase in the demand for a good produced by a perfectly competitive industry,
the equilibrium price in the industry will increase and the existing firms will earn higher profits. This will
act as an incentive for newer firms to enter the industry. As such, resources and firms will move into the
industry because of the sudden increase in the demand for this good.
Difficulty: Medium
Topic: Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: Allocation of Resources Across Industries
20) Suppose the firms in a perfectly competitive industry are earning positive economic profits. How will
this positive profit affect the flow of resources into the industry? How will the equilibrium quantity and
price change in the industry because of the profits?
Answer: A perfectly competitive market is characterized by free entry and exit of firms in the long run.
Profits earned by firms in an industry are the rationale behind the entry and exit of firms in that industry.
If firms in a particular industry are earning positive economic profits, it will act as an incentive for newer
firms to enter that industry. Among the firms that are entering the industry, some would be new firms
and some would be firms which are exiting from other industries. In a perfectly competitive framework,
firms exit an industry when the industry suffers losses. Guided by profits, some firms exit loss-making
industries to participate in the profit-making industries. Hence, the invisible hand guides resources from
other industries to the profit-making industry without requiring any intervention from any authority.
Resources are thus put to their best uses through the functioning of the invisible hand.
When new firms enter the industry, the supply curve of the industry will shift rightward without any
change in demand. An increase in supply, without any change in demand, will lead to a higher
equilibrium quantity available at a lower equilibrium price.
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Extending the Reach of the Invisible Hand: Allocation of Resources Across Industries
1) Which of the following statements is true of market prices in a perfectly competitive market?
A) Market prices are determined by the government.
B) Market prices allow for efficient allocation of scarce resources.
C) Market prices are not stable and fluctuate widely.
D) Market prices do not act as incentives for buyers.
Answer: B
Difficulty: Easy
Topic: Prices Guide the Invisible Hand
28
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
3) Without any restrictions in a perfectly competitive market, if there is a sudden outward shift in the
demand for a good:
A) sellers of the good will increase the supply of the good at the same price.
B) sellers of the good will increase the quantity of the good supplied in the market.
C) sellers of the good will decrease the supply of the good at the same price.
D) sellers of the good will decrease the quantity supplied.
Answer: B
Difficulty: Medium
Topic: Prices Guide the Invisible Hand
7) With an increase in the demand for a good, if prices are not allowed to increase:
A) social surplus will be maintained at maximum.
B) there will be no incentive for firms to increase the quantity supplied of the good.
C) a surplus will occur in the market.
D) there will be an increase in overall efficiency in the market.
Answer: B
Difficulty: Easy
Topic: Prices Guide the Invisible Hand
29
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
The following figure shows the demand and supply curves for a good. The initial demand curve is D 1 is
S. Later, due to an external shock, the demand curve shifts to D 2.
8) Refer to the figure above. What is the initial equilibrium price of the good?
A) $20
B) $40
C) $60
D) $80
Answer: C
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Prices Guide the Invisible Hand
9) Refer to the figure above. What is the initial equilibrium quantity of the good?
A) 20 units
B) 30 units
C) 35 units
D) 50 units
Answer: A
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Prices Guide the Invisible Hand
10) Refer to the figure above. What is the equilibrium price after the demand curve shifts to D2?
A) $20
B) $40
C) $60
D) $80
Answer: D
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Prices Guide the Invisible Hand
30
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
11) Refer to the figure above. What is the equilibrium quantity after the demand curve shifts to D2?
A) 20 units
B) 30 units
C) 35 units
D) 50 units
Answer: B
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Prices Guide the Invisible Hand
12) Refer to the figure above. After the demand curve shifts to D2, if the price is held below the new
equilibrium, then:
A) the quantity demanded will equal the quantity supplied.
B) the quantity demanded will be greater than the quantity supplied.
C) the quantity demanded will be lesser than the quantity supplied.
D) there will be zero deadweight loss.
Answer: B
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Prices Guide the Invisible Hand
13) Which of the following is likely to happen if the government imposes a price control at $60, when the
demand curve shifts to D2?
A) There will be a shortage of 15 units of the good in the market.
B) There will be a surplus of 15 units of the good in the market.
C) There will be a shortage of 10 units of the good in the market.
D) There will be a surplus of 10 units of the good in the market.
Answer: A
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Prices Guide the Invisible Hand
31
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
15) Which of the following statements differentiates between a shortage and a surplus?
A) A shortage occurs when price is held at the equilibrium price, but a surplus occurs when price is held
above the equilibrium price.
B) A shortage occurs when price is held below the equilibrium price, but a surplus occurs when price is
held at the equilibrium price.
C) A shortage occurs when quantity supplied exceeds quantity demanded, whereas a surplus occurs
when quantity demanded exceeds quantity supplied.
D) A shortage occurs when quantity demanded exceeds quantity supplied, whereas a surplus occurs
when quantity supplied exceeds quantity demanded.
Answer: D
Difficulty: Easy
Topic: Prices Guide the Invisible Hand
The following figure illustrates the demand and supply curves for a good.
16) Refer to the figure above. What is the equilibrium price and quantity of the good?
A) Equilibrium price = $40, equilibrium quantity = 20 units
B) Equilibrium price = $60, equilibrium quantity = 10 units
C) Equilibrium price = $60, equilibrium quantity = 20 units
D) Equilibrium price = $80, equilibrium quantity = 30 units
Answer: C
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Prices Guide the Invisible Hand
32
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
17) Refer to the figure above. Which of the following is likely to happen if a price control below the
equilibrium price is imposed?
A) Quantity supplied will exceed quantity demanded.
B) Quantity demanded will exceed quantity supplied.
C) Consumer surplus will decrease.
D) Producer surplus will increase.
Answer: B
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Prices Guide the Invisible Hand
18) Refer to the figure above. Which of the following is likely to happen if a price control of $40 is
imposed?
A) There will be a surplus of 10 units in the market.
B) There will be a shortage of 10 units in the market.
C) There will be a surplus of 20 units in the market.
D) There will be a shortage of 20 units in the market.
Answer: D
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Prices Guide the Invisible Hand
19) Refer to the figure above. Which of the following is likely to happen if a price control above the
equilibrium price is imposed?
A) Quantity demanded will exceed quantity supplied.
B) Quantity supplied will exceed quantity demanded.
C) Consumer surplus will increase.
D) Producer surplus will decrease.
Answer: B
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Prices Guide the Invisible Hand
20) Refer to the figure above. Which of the following is likely to happen if a price control of $80 is
imposed in the market?
A) There will be a surplus of 25 units in the market.
B) There will be a shortage of 25 units in the market.
C) There will be a surplus of 10 units in the market.
D) There will be a shortage of 10 units in the market.
Answer: A
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Prices Guide the Invisible Hand
33
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
21) The decrease in social surplus from a market distortion is referred to as:
A) deadweight loss.
B) market loss.
C) revenue loss.
D) Pareto loss.
Answer: A
Difficulty: Easy
Topic: Deadweight Loss
The following graph shows the demand and supply curves for bottled water.
22) Refer to the figure above. What is the equilibrium price of bottled water?
A) $4
B) $8
C) $12
D) $18
Answer: C
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Deadweight Loss
23) Refer to the figure above. What is the equilibrium quantity of bottled water?
A) 10 units
B) 20 units
C) 30 units
D) 40 units
Answer: B
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Deadweight Loss
34
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
24) Refer to the figure above. What is the consumer surplus in the market?
A) $60
B) $90
C) $120
D) $160
Answer: C
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Deadweight Loss
25) Refer to the figure above. What is the producer surplus in the market?
A) $20
B) $40
C) $60
D) $80
Answer: D
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Deadweight Loss
26) Refer to the figure above. If a price control is imposed at $8, what is the new consumer surplus in the
market?
A) $115
B) $125
C) $130
D) $175
Answer: C
Difficulty: Hard
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Deadweight Loss
27) Refer to the figure above. If a price control is imposed at $8, what is the new producer surplus in the
market?
A) $20
B) $40
C) $60
D) $80
Answer: A
Difficulty: Hard
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Deadweight Loss
35
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
28) Refer to the figure above. If a price control is imposed at $8, what is the gain in consumer surplus?
A) $5
B) $10
C) $15
D) $20
Answer: B
Difficulty: Hard
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Deadweight Loss
29) Refer to the figure above. If a price control is imposed at $8, what is the loss in producer surplus?
A) $30
B) $60
C) $90
D) $120
Answer: B
Difficulty: Hard
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Deadweight Loss
30) Refer to the figure above. If a price control is imposed at $8, what is the deadweight loss?
A) $10
B) $50
C) $65
D) $85
Answer: B
Difficulty: Hard
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Deadweight Loss
36
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
32) Which of the following statements is true?
A) Command economies do a better job at maximizing social welfare in comparison to market economies.
B) Incentive problem and coordination problem lead to lower efficiency in market economies.
C) Central planners in command economies have to make decisions that prices would have automatically
made in market economies.
D) Bringing economic agents together to trade is easier in command economies in comparison to market
economies.
Answer: C
Difficulty: Medium
Topic: The Command Economy
33) ________ is the market value of final goods and services produced in a country in a given period of
time?
A) Gross national product
B) Gross domestic product
C) Net national product
D) Net domestic product
Answer: B
Difficulty: Easy
Topic: The Command Economy
35) The problem of bringing economic agents together to trade is referred to as the:
A) incentive problem.
B) coordination problem.
C) correspondence problem.
D) scarcity problem.
Answer: B
Difficulty: Easy
Topic: The Central Planner
36) When the maximizing actions of two economic agents are not aligned, these agents face a(n):
A) coordination problem.
B) incentive problem.
C) correspondence problem.
D) objective problem.
Answer: B
Difficulty: Easy
Topic: The Central Planner
37
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
37) Which of the following is a characteristic of command economies?
A) Rewards to economic agents are based on market prices.
B) Coordination of economic agents is automatic.
C) It is difficult to incentivize economic agents.
D) The invisible hand functions without any restraint.
Answer: C
Difficulty: Easy
Topic: The Central Planner
38) What is the economic variable that guides the invisible hand?
Answer: The invisible hand is guided by the market price. Market prices act as the most important piece
of information, leading the right buyers to buy and the right sellers to sell; no more, no less. It ensures
that self-interest and social interest are perfectly aligned. It also allows economic agents to make optimal
decisions.
Difficulty: Easy
Topic: Prices Guide the Invisible Hand
40) Why is it likely that a market economy will perform better than a command economy?
Answer: Difficulties like the coordination problem and the incentive problem suggest that the reason for
the fall of the most of the planned economies is that the central planner does not fully understand
consumer wants and the production capabilities of every sector of the economy and it is difficult to
incentivize workers if prices are not utilized. Since any individual knows only a small fraction of all that
is known collectively, it is impossible to replicate the work of the invisible hand. Therefore, a market
economy is likely to perform better than a command economy.
Difficulty: Medium
Topic: The Command Economy
38
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
42) a) Is the invisible hand likely to work better in a market with price controls or without price controls?
Explain your answer.
b) The following figure illustrates the demand and supply curves in the market for watches. Calculate
the shortage or surplus in the market when the price is first held at $20 and then at $40.
Answer:
a) In a perfectly competitive market, market prices align self-interest and social interest. Market prices
act as the most important piece of information, leading the right buyers to buy and the right sellers to sell.
Prices also allow entrepreneurs to allocate the production of goods within the same industry and also
across industries. Hence, it is the market price that guides the invisible hand. When prices are allowed to
move freely, social surplus is maximized in a perfectly competitive market. For example, if the demand
for a commodity increases in the market of a particular region, prices go up, which encourages new firms
to enter the market. But if some ruling authority does not allow the price to change according to the
market conditions, and fixes it, the invisible hand will cease to operate. Price controls are such non-
market price impositions, and they limit the functioning of the invisible hand.
b) The equilibrium price in the figure is $30, as given by the point of intersection between the demand
and the supply curves. If the price is fixed at $40, quantity supplied is 60 units, whereas quantity
demanded is 10 units. Hence, there is a surplus of 50 units in the market. On the other hand, if the price is
fixed at $20, quantity demanded is 60 units, and quantity supplied is 20 units. There will be a shortage of
40 units in the market.
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Prices Guide the Invisible Hand
39
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
43) Consider the two economies of Lithasia and Barylia. Economic agents in Lithasia have coordination
and incentive problems, while in Barylia social surplus is maximized. Which economic system does each
of these economies most likely to have? Explain your answer.
Answer: A coordination problem refers to the problem of bringing agents together to trade and an
incentive problem refers to the problem of aligning the interests of economic agents. Since, Lithasia is
seen to have both of these problems, it is most likely to be a command economy. On the other hand,
Barylia is characterized by maximum social surplus. It is likely to be a free market economy.
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: The Central Planner
40
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) Which of the following statements is true?
A) Maximum social surplus implies equity.
B) Pareto efficiency implies equity.
C) Taxation causes redistribution of wealth among the members in a society.
D) Market prices act as signals that result in equal distribution of income and wealth in the society.
Answer: C
Difficulty: Medium
Topic: Equity and Efficiency
41
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
8) Which of the following statements is true?
A) In case of auctions and bilateral negotiations, prices tend to approach the competitive equilibrium.
B) Bilateral negotiations allow a single buyer and a single seller to privately negotiate with bids and asks.
C) In auctions, buyers prefer buying from sellers with the highest ask prices.
D) In auctions, sellers prefer selling to buyers with the lowest bid prices.
Answer: B
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Application of Knowledge
Topic: Evidence-Based Economics
9) Are the concepts of equity and efficiency different? Why or why not?
Answer: Yes, the concepts of equity and efficiency are different. An economy is said to be efficient when
waste of resources is eliminated and social surplus is maximized. Thus, efficiency relates to making the
societal pie as large as possible. Conversely, equity focusses on the distributive aspect of resources across
society. Hence, equity is more concerned with how the pie is allocated to various economic agents.
Difficulty: Easy
Topic: Equity and Efficiency
42
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
11) Imagine an economy where the government allocates resources among its citizens. Recently, the
government divided $1,000 among ten citizens. The amount each citizen received is displayed in the table
below.
43
Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
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"By about thirty percent," said Walt, scratching his chin. "If we hold to
our original idea of hitting it for six thousand, where will we be?"
"That would make it about forty-five hours from take-off, and we'd be
about four hundred and sixty million miles from Sol." Charley grinned
widely and said: "By Jove!"
"What?"
"By Jove!"
"'By Jove!' What?"
"That's where we'd be—By Jove!"
"Phew."
"I agree with you," said Franklen to Walt. "Better ignore him."
"Sure will after that. So then we'll be 'By Jove' at six thousand. That
would be a swell place to make turnover, I think. At 1-G decel, to
about four thousand MPS, that'll put us about ... um, that'd take us
ninety hours! We'll make that 3-G, at twenty hours, which will put us
about three hundred and fifty million miles along, which plus the
original four hundred and sixty million adds up to eight hundred and
ten million miles—"
"When an astronaut begins to talk like that," interrupted Arden, "we
of the skyways say that he is talking in Congressional figures. The
shoe is on the other foot. What on earth are you fellows figuring?"
"Where we'll be and how fast we'll be going at a given instant of no
particular importance," offered Walt. "When did you wake up?"
"About the third hundred million. All of those ciphers going by made
a hollow sound, like a bullet whistling in the wind."
"Well, we're trying to make the theories of probability match with
figures. We'll know in about forty-five hours whether we were right or
not."
"It's a good thing we have all space to go around in. Are you sure
that we have all eternity?"
"Don't get anxious. They're still coming in like a ton of bricks four
times per hour, which means that they're riding easy. I don't want to
overrun them at about three thousand MPS and have to spend a
week decelerating, returning, more decelerating, and then matching
velocities."
"I see. You know best. And where is this Asteroid Belt that I've heard
so much about?"
"To the South of us by a few million miles. Those bright specks that
you can't tell from stars are asteroids. The common conception of
the Asteroid Belt being filled to overflowing with a collection of
cosmic rubble like the rings of Saturn is a lot of hooey. We'll be past
in a little while and we haven't even come close to one. Space is
large enough for all of us, I think."
"But not when all of us want the same space."
"I don't care for their area," said Walt with a smile. "Let 'em have it, I
don't care. I'll stay up here and let them run as they will."
"You mean the ones that are moving downward?" asked Arden,
indicating the sky.
"Those are asteroids, yes. We're to the North, as you may check by
going around the ship to the opposite side. You'll see Polaris almost
directly opposite, there. Sol is almost directly below us, and that
bright one that you can see if you squint almost straight up out of the
port is Saturn."
"I won't bother crossing the ship to see Polaris. I prefer the Southern
Cross anyway. The thing I'm most interested in is: Are we
accomplishing anything?"
"I think that we've spent the last thirty hours just catching up,"
explained Walt. "Up to right now we were going backwards, so to
speak: we're on even terms now, and will be doing better from here
on in."
"It's the waiting that gets me down," said Arden. "Oh, for something
to do!"
"Let's eat," suggested Walt. "I'm hungry, and now that I think of it, I
have not eaten since we left the Station. Arden, you are hereby
elected to the post of galley chief. Get Jimmy from the dome if you
need help."
"Help? What for?"
"He can help you lift it out of the oven. Don must have a cast-iron
stomach."
"That's hearsay. I'll show you! As soon as I find the can opener,
breakfast will be served."
"Make mine dinner," said Charley. "We've been awake all the time."
"O.K., we will have a combined meal, from grapefruit to ice cream.
Those who want any or all parts may choose at will. And fellows,
please let me know as soon as you get something tangible."
"That's a promise," said Walt. "Take it easy, and don't worry. We'll be
catching up with them one of these days."
Charley Bren made another computation and said: "Well, Walt, we've
been narrowing them down for quite a time now. We're getting closer
and closer to them, according to the field intensity. I've just got a
good idea of direction on that last five-minute shot. Have Franklen
swivel us around on this course; pretty soon we'll be right in the
middle of their shots."
"We're approaching them asymptotically," observed Walt. "I wish I
knew what our velocity was with respect to theirs. Something tells
me that it would be much simpler if I knew."
"Walt," asked Arden, "how close can you see a spaceship?"
"You mean how far? Well, I don't know that it's ever been tried and
recorded. But we can figure it out easy enough, by analogy. A period
is about thirty thousandths of an inch in diameter, and visible from a
distance of thirty inches. I mean visible with no doubt about it's being
there. That's a thousand to one. Now, the Solar Queen is about six
hundred feet tall and about four hundred feet in its major diameter,
so we can assume a little more than the four hundred feet—say five
hundred feet average of circular area, say—follow me?"
"Go on, you're vague, but normal."
"Then at a thousand to one, that becomes five hundred thousand
feet, and dividing by five thousand—round figures because it isn't
important enough to use that two hundred and eighty feet over the
five thousand—gives us one thousand miles. We should be able to
see the Solar Queen from a distance of a thousand miles."
"Then at four thousand miles per second we'll be in and out of visual
range in a half second?"
"Oh no. They're rambling on a quite similar course at an unknown
but high velocity. Our velocity with respect to theirs is what will
determine how long they're within visual range."
"Hey, Walt," came the voice of Charley Bren. "The intensity of Don's
beam has been cut to about one quarter and is now continuous.
Does that mean anything?"
"Might mean trouble for them. Either they're running out of soup and
mean for us to hurry up, or they assume we're close enough to
obviate the need for high power. We'd better assume they want
haste and act accordingly. How're the boys on the radio detectors
coming along?"
"Fine. They've taken over the direction finding and claim that we are
right on their tail."
"Anything in the sights, Jimmy?"
"Not yet. But the electroscope boys claim that quarter power or not,
the input is terrific."
"Take a rest, Jimmy. We won't be there for a while yet. No use
burning your eyes out trying to see 'em. There'll be time enough for
you to do your share after we get 'em close enough to see with the
naked eye. What do the beam-scanners say?"
"Shucks," answered the man on the scanners, "they're still radiating.
How are we going to fix 'em on a reflected wave when they're more
powerful on their own hook? The whole plate is glaring white. And,
incidentally, so is the celestial globe in the meteor-spotter. I've had
the threshold cut to the devil on that or we'd never be able to hold
this course. Anything like a meteor that comes in our way now will
not register until we're right on top of it and—"
The Relay Girl lurched sickeningly. All over the ship, things rattled
and fell to the floors. Men grabbed at the closest solid object, and
then the Relay Girl straightened out once more.
"Woosh," said Franks. "That was a big one."
"Big one?" called Charley Bren. "That, my friend, was none other
than the Solar Queen!"
"Can you prove that?"
"Sure. Our electroscopes now indicate a positive charge; they
crossed over just as we lurched."
"Jimmy, get your scope a-top and get looking. Franklen, hang on
about 7-G and follow Jimmy's orders. Charley, see if you can get
anything cogent out of your gadget. Holy Green Fire, with all of a
cubic million million million megaparsecs in which to run, we have to
be so good that we run right into our quarry. Who says that radio
direction finding is not a precise science? Who says that we couldn't
catch—"
"Walt, they're in sight, but losing fast."
"O.K., Jimmy, can you give me any idea as to their velocity with
respect to ours?"
"How long is she?"
"Six hundred feet."
Jimmy was silent for some seconds. "They're out of sight again, but I
make it about four to seven hundred miles per second."
"At 7-G we should match that seven hundred in about four hours."
"And then go on decelerating so that they'll catch up?"
"No," said Walt. "I used the max figure and we can assume that they
aren't going that fast, quite. At the end of four hours, we'll turnover
and wait until they heave in sight again and then we'll do some more
oscillating. We can match their velocity inside of ten hours, or
Franklen will get fired."
"If I don't," promised Franklen, "I'll quit. You can't fire me!"
"We should be able to contact them by radio," said Walt.
"Their beam is off," said Bren.
"And they are using the landing set," called the radio man, "It's
Channing. He says: 'Fancy meeting you here.' Any answer?"
"Just say, 'Dr. Channing, I presume?'"
Channing's voice came out of the ship's announcer system as the
radio man made the necessary connections. It said: "Right—but
what kept you so long?"
"Our boss was away," said Walt. "And we can't do a thing without
him."
"Some boss. Some crew of wild men. Can't go off on a fishing trip
without having my bunch chasing all over the Solar System."
"What's wrong with a little sightseeing tour? We didn't mean any
harm. And speaking of harm, how are you and the rest of that bunch
getting along?"
"We're O.K. What do you plan after we finally get close enough
together to throw stones across?"
"We've got a whole hold full of spare batteries and a double set of
replacement cathodes. There is a shipload of gravanol aboard, too.
You'll need that and so will we. By the time we finish this jaunt, we'll
have been about as far out as anybody ever gets."
"Yeah—got any precise figures? We've been running on a guess and
a hope. I make it out about seven hundred million."
"Make it eight and a half. At 6-G, you'll cover another hundred and
fifty million miles before you stop. Take it twenty-two hours at 6-G—
and then another twenty-two at 6. That should put you right back
here but going the other way at the same velocity. But wait, you've
been coasting. Mark off that last twenty-two hours and make it like
this: You'll be one thousand million miles from Sol when you come to
a stop at the end of the first twenty-two hours at 6-G. That hangs you
out beyond the orbit of Saturn by a couple of hundred million. Make it
back forty-four hours at 6-G, turnover and continue. By that time we'll
all be in so close that we can make any planet at will—preferably you
to Terra and we'll head for Venus Equilateral. You'll come aboard us?
No need for you to go with the rest."
"I can have the scooter sent out," said Channing. "How's Arden?"
"I'm fine, you big runabout. Wait until I get you!"
"Why Arden, I thought you might be glad to see me."
"Glad to see you?"
"But Arden—"
"Don't you 'But Arden' me, you big gadabout. Glad to see you? Boy,
any man that makes me chase him all over the Solar System! You
just wait. As soon as I get ahold of you, Don Channing, I'm going to
—bust out and bawl like a kid! Hurry up, willya?"
"I'll be right over," said Don soberly.
And, strangely enough, Don did not deviate this time.
THE END
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