One Local Hospital Has Just Enough Space and Funds Currently

question 142

Multiple Choice

One local hospital has just enough space and funds currently available to start either a cancer or heart research lab. If administration decides on the cancer lab, there is a 20 percent chance of getting $100,000 in outside funding from the American Cancer Society next year, and an 80 percent chance of getting nothing. If the cancer research lab is funded the first year, no additional outside funding will be available the second year. However, if it is not funded the first year, then management estimates the chances are 50 percent it will get $100,000 the following year, and 50 percent that it will get nothing again. If, however, the hospital's management decides to go with the heart lab, then there is a 50 percent chance of getting $50,000 in outside funding from the American Heart Association the first year and a 50 percent chance of getting nothing. If the heart lab is funded the first year, management estimates a 40 percent chance of getting another $50,000 and a 60 percent chance of getting nothing additional the second year. If it is not funded the first year, then management estimates a 60 percent chance for getting $50,000 and a 40 percent chance for getting nothing in the following year. For both the cancer and heart research labs, no further possible funding is anticipated beyond the first two years.
What is the expected value for the optimum decision alternative?

• A)$100,000
• B)$60,000
• C)$50,000
• D)$40,000
• E)$20,000

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Definitions:

Price Elasticity

A measure of how much the quantity demanded of a good responds to a change in the price of that good, indicating the goods' sensitivity to price changes.

Price Elasticity

An indicator of the responsiveness of the quantity of a good demanded to its price variations, showing how sensitive the buyers are to changes in price.

Price Elasticity

An assessment of the responsiveness of product demand to changes in its pricing.

Demand Coefficient

A parameter in demand analysis that measures the sensitivity of the quantity demanded of a good to changes in its price or other factors.