Unit 1: Basic Economic Concepts
Macro · Unit 1 · Paper 2

Basic Economic Concepts unit test

A test on this unit alone, marked as a percentage and a letter grade — for the test your class is actually sitting, rather than for May. Answer everything, then submit once: seeing the answer to question 3 before attempting question 4 makes the final percentage meaningless.

Each paper is built from this unit’s 42 terms and is the same for everyone, so a teacher can assign “Unit 1, Paper 2” and every student sits the identical test. Multiple choice is marked objectively; the written sections you mark yourself against the model answer and rubric.
Suggested time 34 min 31 points0/17 attempted
1

The marginal decision rule

2

Terms of trade

3

Opportunity cost

4

Ceteris paribus

5

Leakages and injections

6

Why economics uses models

7

Positive vs normative statements

8

The three questions every system answers

9

Terms of trade range

10

What prices do, precisely

11

Substitution vs income effect

12

Gains from trade

Short answer 1. Define or explain: Growth versus efficiency

3 pts

Short answer 2. Define or explain: A straight-line PPC

3 pts

Short answer 3. Define or explain: Scarcity

3 pts

Short answer 4. Define or explain: Factors of production

3 pts

Free response

7 pts

Two countries, Norland and Sudland, each have the same fixed quantity of resources. With all its resources Norland can produce 40 tons of grain or 20 tractors; Sudland can produce 30 tons of grain or 30 tractors. (a) Calculate Norland's opportunity cost of one tractor and identify which country has the comparative advantage in tractors. Show your work. (b) Identify the range of terms of trade, in tons of grain per tractor, that both countries would accept. Explain why terms outside that range would be rejected. (c) Sudland has an absolute advantage in tractors. Explain why absolute advantage does not determine whether trade is mutually beneficial. (d) Norland develops a technology that doubles its grain output per resource but leaves tractor output unchanged. State whether Norland's comparative advantage changes and justify your answer with a calculation.

Calculate Norland's opportunity cost of one tractor and identify the comparative advantage in tractors.

Identify the range of mutually acceptable terms of trade and explain why terms outside it are rejected.

Explain why absolute advantage does not determine whether trade is mutually beneficial.

State whether Norland's comparative advantage changes after the grain technology improvement, with a calculation.