ESSENTIALS OF ECONOMICS
ESSENTIALS OF ECONOMICS
4th Edition
ISBN: 9781464188466
Author: KRUGMAN
Publisher: Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Question
Book Icon
Chapter 10, Problem 1P
To determine

Concept Introduction:

Externalities: Any external factor which causes either a benefit or loss to the producers and these benefits or losses do not get reflected in the market price of a good or service and not even reflected in the accounts of the producer, then this is known as externalities. It may be a loss for one party and gain for the other.

The positive externality can be said as an external benefit, whereas the negative externality can be said as an external cost.

Expert Solution & Answer
Check Mark

Explanation of Solution

a. Mr. Chau plants lots of colorful flowers in his front yard.

  • This is a case of positive externality. The marginal benefit of the individual is less than the marginal social benefit of the activity.
  • This is because other people in the society also enjoy by the beautiful view of colorful flowers. Therefore, fewer flowers will be planted than that of the socially optimum level.

Conclusion:

Thus, it is a positive externality.

b. The neighbor likes to build bonfires in his backyard, and sparks often drift onto the house.

  • This is a case of negative externality. The house can catch fire because of the bonfires in the neighbor’s house, so this is a kind of external cost. Therefore, in this case, the marginal social cost is greater than the marginal cost of the neighbor.
  • As the neighbor is not concerned about the external cost, therefore more bonfires will be built by him than the socially optimal level.

Conclusion:

Thus, it is a negative externality.

c. Maija, who lives next to an apple orchard, decides to keep bees to produce honey.

  • This is a case of positive externality. The owner of the apple orchid will be benefited by the bees, which are kept to produce honey, because bees will help in pollination.
  • Therefore, the marginal social benefit will be greater than the marginal benefit to Maija. As Maija does not receive any kind of compensation by forging the external benefit so she will keep fewer bees than the socially optimal level.

Conclusion:

Thus, it is a positive externality.

d. Justine buys a large car that consumes a lot of gasoline.

  • This is a case of negative externality. Toxic gases emitted by the car in the atmosphere because of the use of gasoline are an external cost. Therefore, the marginal social cost will be greater than the marginal cost incurred by Justine.
  • Justine ignores the external cost that is involved in buying a car, it means that more cars will be purchased than the socially optimal level.

Conclusion:

Thus, it is a negative externality.

Want to see more full solutions like this?

Subscribe now to access step-by-step solutions to millions of textbook problems written by subject matter experts!
Students have asked these similar questions
Response to J.C. Ethics Statement Raising our products' global profile requires a firm commitment to doing the right thing by society and the environment. By switching to a more energy-efficient cloud architecture, BillRight Software, Inc. will reduce its carbon footprint while also ensuring the absolute security of all customer data. Fair labor standards, a diverse and inclusive workforce, and giving back to the communities where our employees live and work are some of our core values. Following local regulations, accepting cultural variances, and actively participating in community development projects are all ways our brand and product will uphold our ethical values globally (Corcoran, 2024; Kotler et al., 2023; Kotler & Keller, 2024; Solomon & Russell, 2024). How MKTG 525 Gets You Together with Classmates? Different points of view in dealing with classmates from many backgrounds exposes you to many points of view, ideas, and techniques. This variety enriches the learning…
3. Case 2) Coal plants exit, and Solar generation enters the market Now, let's consider a scenario where the coal power plant (#1) shuts down and exits the market, and a solar generation facility is constructed. The capacity of the solar generation facility is the same as the coal power plant that went out of business. The generation capacities of this market are shown below, along with their MC. Table 3: Power Plant Capacity and Marginal Cost: Case 2 Plant # Energy Source Capacity (MW) MC (S/MWh) 2 Oil 100 90 3 Natural Gas 500 50 4 Nuclear 600 0 5 Solar 300 5 Note that the solar plant (#5) can generate electricity only from 7 AM until 5PM. During these hours, the plant can generate up to its full capacity (300 MW) but cannot generate any when unavailable. (a) Draw a supply curve for each hourly market (4AM, 10 AM, 2PM, 6PM). (b) Find the market clearing prices and calculate how much electricity each power plant generates in the hourly market (4AM, 10AM, 2PM, and 6PM). (c) Find the…
Respond to L.R. To analyze consumer spending, you must review the macroeconomic indicators of Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) and Retail Sales over the past year. Selected Macroeconomic indicators Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) measure the value of household goods and services consumed and are a key indicator of consumer spending. -        Retail Sales: This tracks the total receipts of retail stores and provides insight into consumer demand and spending trends. -        Patterns over the past year:   Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Over the past year, PCE has steadily increased, reflecting consumer confidence and willingness to spend. The growth rate has been moderate, driven by wage growth, low unemployment rates, and government stimulus measures. However, inflationary pressures have also impacted real purchasing power, leading to a mixed outlook. -        Retail sales have also experienced fluctuations but have generally trended upwards. After a…
Knowledge Booster
Background pattern image
Similar questions
SEE MORE QUESTIONS
Recommended textbooks for you
Text book image
ENGR.ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
Economics
ISBN:9780190931919
Author:NEWNAN
Publisher:Oxford University Press
Text book image
Principles of Economics (12th Edition)
Economics
ISBN:9780134078779
Author:Karl E. Case, Ray C. Fair, Sharon E. Oster
Publisher:PEARSON
Text book image
Engineering Economy (17th Edition)
Economics
ISBN:9780134870069
Author:William G. Sullivan, Elin M. Wicks, C. Patrick Koelling
Publisher:PEARSON
Text book image
Principles of Economics (MindTap Course List)
Economics
ISBN:9781305585126
Author:N. Gregory Mankiw
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Text book image
Managerial Economics: A Problem Solving Approach
Economics
ISBN:9781337106665
Author:Luke M. Froeb, Brian T. McCann, Michael R. Ward, Mike Shor
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Text book image
Managerial Economics & Business Strategy (Mcgraw-...
Economics
ISBN:9781259290619
Author:Michael Baye, Jeff Prince
Publisher:McGraw-Hill Education