9781118041581

(Nancy Kaufman) #1
Summary 119

1.Q  24  12  40 52 seats.


  1. The facts in the second part of the statement are correct, but this does
    not mean that auto demand is less elastic. Elasticity measures the effect of
    a percentage change in price, not an absolute change. The change in any
    good’s sales is given by Q /Q EP(P/P); that is, it depends both on
    the elasticity and the magnitude of the percentage price change. After all,
    a $50 auto price cut is trivial in percentage terms. Even if auto demand is
    very elastic, the change in sales will be small. By contrast, a $50 price cut
    for a CD player is large in percentage terms. So there may be a large jump
    in sales even if player demand is quite inelastic.

  2. EP(dQ /Q)/(dP/P) (dQ /dP)(P/Q). With dQ /dP 4, the
    elasticity at P$200 and Q800 is EP(4)(200)/8001.

  3. Since costs are assumed to be fixed, the team’s management should set a
    price to maximize ticket revenue. We know that Q 60,000 3,000P or,
    equivalently, P  20 Q /3,000.Setting MR 0, we have 20 Q /1,500
    0, or Q 30,000 seats. In turn, P $10 and revenue $300,000 per
    game. Note that management should notset a price to fill the stadium
    (36,000 seats). To fill the stadium, the necessary average price would be
    $8 and would generate only $288,000 in revenue.

  4. Before the settlement, the cigarette company is setting an optimal price
    called for by the markup rule: P 2/( 2 1) $4.00. The
    settlement payment takes the form of a fixed cost (based on past sales).
    It does not vary with respect to current or future production levels.
    Therefore, it does not affect the firm’s marginal cost and should not
    affect the firm’s markup. Note also that the individual firm faces elastic
    demand (because smokers can switch to other brands if the firm
    unilaterally raises prices), whereas industry demand (according to
    Table 3.1) is inelastic. If all firms raise prices by 10 percent, total
    demand will decline by only 7 percent.

  5. The new seat allocations satisfy MRBMRTand QBQT270. The
    solution is QB155 and QT115. In turn, PB$175, PT$135, and
    total revenue is $42,650—approximately $6,000 greater than current
    revenue ($36,800). Since the extra cost of the “second day” flight is only
    $4,500 (90 $50), this expansion is profitable. Note, however, that the
    common value of marginal revenue has dropped to $20. (To see this,
    compute MRB 330 2(155) $20.) Because the marginal revenue
    per seat has fallen below the marginal cost ($50), any further expansion
    would be unprofitable.


CHECK STATION
ANSWERS

c03DemandAnalysisAndOptimalPricing.qxd 9/28/11 11:15 AM Page 119

Free download pdf