Suppose There Is an Early Freeze in California That Reduces

question 78

Multiple Choice

Suppose there is an early freeze in California that reduces the size of the lemon crop.What happens to consumer surplus in the market for lemons?

• A)Consumer surplus increases.
• B)Consumer surplus decreases.
• C)Consumer surplus is not affected by this change in market forces.
• D)We would have to know whether the demand for lemons is elastic or inelastic to make this determination.

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Definitions:

Fixed Expenses

Costs that do not vary with the volume of production or sales, such as rent, salaries, and insurance premiums.

Contribution Margin Ratio

The proportion of sales revenue that exceeds variable costs, indicating how much revenue contributes to fixed costs and profit.

Margin of Safety Percentage

A financial ratio indicating the difference between actual sales and break-even sales, used to determine the risk of incurring a loss.

Break-even Sales

The level of sales at which a business neither makes a profit nor a loss, calculated by dividing fixed costs by the contribution margin ratio.