Professor Kremepuff's New, User-Friendly Textbook Has Just Been Published

question 14

Multiple Choice

Professor Kremepuff's new, user-friendly textbook has just been published. This book will be used in classes for two years, after which it will be replaced by a new edition. The publisher charges a price of p₁ in the first year and p₂ in the second year. After the first year, bookstores buy back used copies for and resell them to students in the second year for p₂. (Students are indifferent between new and used copies.) The cost to a student of owning the book during the first year is therefore p₁ - . In the first year of publication, the number of students willing to pay $v to own a copy of the book for a year is 80,000 - 1,000v. The number of students taking the course in the first year who are willing to pay $w to keep the book for reference rather than sell it at the end of the year is 80,000 - 5,000w. The number of persons who are taking the course in the second year and are willing to pay at least $p for a copy of the book is 75,000 - 1,000p. If the publisher sets a price of p₁ in the first year and p₂ <= p₁ in the second year, then the total number of copies of the book that the publisher sells over the two years will be

• A) 160,000 - 1,000p₁ - 1,000p₂.
• B) 160,000 - 1,000(p₁ -).
• C) 160,000 - 3,000p₂.
• D) 155,000 - 1,000(p₁ +).
• E) 155,000 - 1,500p₂.

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Definitions:

Alternative Activities

Options or activities that can be chosen as alternatives to the current activity being engaged in, often considered in the context of opportunity cost.

Comparative Advantage

The ability to make something at a lower opportunity cost than other producers face.

Absolute Advantage

The ability to make something using fewer resources than other producers use.

Comparative Advantage

The ability of an individual, company, or country to produce a good or service at a lower opportunity cost than competitors, leading to more efficient production and trade.