Microeconomics
Microeconomics
11th Edition
ISBN: 9781260507140
Author: David C. Colander
Publisher: McGraw Hill Education
Question
Book Icon
Chapter 14, Problem 1QE
To determine

The key difference between a monopolist and a competitor.

Expert Solution & Answer
Check Mark

Explanation of Solution

The key difference between a monopolist and a perfect competitor is that a monopoly is a price maker and a perfectly competitive firm is a price taker. This would mean that the output decisions taken by a monopoly firm can affect the market price and the monopoly price is always greater than its marginal revenue (P>MR). On the other hand, a competitor has no market power and in a perfectly competitive market, the price is always equal to the marginal revenue (P=MR).

Economics Concept Introduction

Perfectly competitive market: The perfect competition is a market structure in which large number of buyers and sellers are selling the homogeneous product in the market. Thus, there will be no market control to any one seller in the market and the price and output decisions are determined by the market forces.

Monopoly: Monopoly is a market structure in which a single seller enjoys the largest market share with many buyers.

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
What can a monopolist or a firm with market power do, in order to increase the profits?
What are the three reasons why monopolies arise?  Give one example of a firm that is a monopoly and the reason why it is a monopoly.
What is the monopolist's strategy of price discrimination? How this strategy works to maximize monopoly profit?
Knowledge Booster
Background pattern image
Recommended textbooks for you
Text book image
Economics (MindTap Course List)
Economics
ISBN:9781337617383
Author:Roger A. Arnold
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Text book image
Microeconomics
Economics
ISBN:9781337617406
Author:Roger A. Arnold
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Text book image
Economics Today and Tomorrow, Student Edition
Economics
ISBN:9780078747663
Author:McGraw-Hill
Publisher:Glencoe/McGraw-Hill School Pub Co
Text book image
Survey Of Economics
Economics
ISBN:9781337111522
Author:Tucker, Irvin B.
Publisher:Cengage,
Text book image
Microeconomics: Principles & Policy
Economics
ISBN:9781337794992
Author:William J. Baumol, Alan S. Blinder, John L. Solow
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