Question

In: Economics

In 2009, the price of Amazon's Kindle 2 was $430 in today's dollars, while iSuppli estimated that its marginal cost was $191 in today's dollars.

In 2009, the price of Amazon's Kindle 2 was $430 in today's dollars, while iSuppli estimated that its marginal cost was $191 in today's dollars.

a. What was Amazon's price/marginal cost ratio?

b. What was Amazon's Lerner index?

c. What price elasticity of demand did it face if it was engaging in short-run profit maximization?

Solutions

Expert Solution

We have the following information

Price (P) = $430

Marginal cost (MC) = $191

Part a) Price-Marginal Cost ratio = 430/191 = 2.25

Part b) Lerner Index = (P – MC)/P

Lerner Index = (430 – 191)/191

Lerner Index = 239/191

Lerner Index = 1.25

Part c) Lerner Index = (P – MC)/P = – 1/Ed

Ed = Elasticity of demand

(430 – 191)/191 = – 1/Ed

239/191 = – 1/Ed

1.25 = – 1/Ed

Elasticity of Demand = – 0.8


Related Solutions

2. If marginal benefit from a particular activity is greater than its marginal cost, a rational...
2. If marginal benefit from a particular activity is greater than its marginal cost, a rational choice involves a. More of the activity b. Less of the activity c. No more of the activity d. More or less, depending on the benefits of other activities . 3. Which of the following is an example of an implicit cost a. Dividends paid out to stockholders b. The uncompensated services of the spouse of a firm's owner c. Payments made to audit...
Show mathematically that a monopolist always sets its price above marginal cost.
Show mathematically that a monopolist always sets its price above marginal cost.
1. The marginal utility of good A is 4 utils, and its price is $2. The...
1. The marginal utility of good A is 4 utils, and its price is $2. The marginal utility of good B is 6 utils, and its price is $1. Define Marginal Utility (MU) and show all your calculations using the appropriate formula. (A) Is the individual consumer maximizing (total) utility if she spends a total of $3 by buying one unit of each good? (B) If not, how can more utility be obtained? 2. After each toss of the coin,...
Price (dollars per ride) (1)    Quantity demanded (rides per month) (2) Total cost (dollars per...
Price (dollars per ride) (1)    Quantity demanded (rides per month) (2) Total cost (dollars per month) (3) 220 0 80 200 1 160 180 2 260 160 3 380 140 4 520 120 5 680 Suppose you own Hot Air Balloon Rides during a local sports event in Vancouver, Canada, which is a singleprice monopoly (see Figure 1). Columns 1 and 2 of the following table set out the market demand schedule and columns 2 and 3 set out...
In a perfectly competitive market: the market price is 24 Marginal cost (MC) = 2(Q) +...
In a perfectly competitive market: the market price is 24 Marginal cost (MC) = 2(Q) + 8 average total cost at equilibrium is 18, and average variable cost at equilibrium is 10 Part 1: The profit maximizing price is     Part 2: The profit maximizing quantity is      Part 3: Total revenue is     Part 4: Total cost is     Part 5: Average fixed cost is     Part 6: Total fixed cost is     Part 7: Total profit/loss is     Part 8: Marginal revenue is     Part 9:...
T/F If the marginal revenue is less than the marginal cost, a profit-maximizing price taker should increase its output.
13) T/F If the marginal revenue is less than the marginal cost, a profit-maximizing price taker should increase its output.14) T/F When a firm is operating in a price-taker market, marginal revenue is always less than the market price.15) T/F When an economist says a firm is earning zero economic profit, this implies that the firm will likely have to declare bankruptcy in the near future unless market conditions change.16) T/F In the year 2008, nearly three out of four...
Question 1: (5 Marks) As a monopoly’s price is different than its marginal cost, too little...
Question 1: As a monopoly’s price is different than its marginal cost, too little output is produced and the society suffers a deadweight loss. Explain this statement with the help of a graph (properly labeled).
In a price-taker market, each firm's short run supply curve is its marginal cost curve, above its minimum average total cost.
7) T/F In a price-taker market, each firm's short run supply curve is its marginal cost curve, above its minimum average total cost.8) T/F The limited liability of stockholders in the corporate business structure makes it harder to raise equity capital.9) T/F In the year 2008, nearly three out of four business firms in the United States were organized as proprietorships.10) T/F When demand is relatively price inelastic, price and total revenue will change in the same direction.11) T/F As...
Problem #2 A machine, which cost $400,000, is acquired on October 1, 2020. Its estimated salvage...
Problem #2 A machine, which cost $400,000, is acquired on October 1, 2020. Its estimated salvage value is $30,000 and its expected life is 8 years. Instructions Calculate depreciation expense for 2020 and 2021 by each of the following methods, showing the figures used. SHOW ALL WORK! (a) Double-declining balance (b) Straight-Line
Peanut butter price went from $1 per pound to $2, while its quantity demanded dropped from...
Peanut butter price went from $1 per pound to $2, while its quantity demanded dropped from 330 to 300 million pounds. Based on this information, please answer the following questions. 1)  What is the demand function for peanut butter? To answer this question, please solve for parameters a and b in P=a-bQD 2) Denote the elasticity of peanut butter demand with respect to price as EDP. What is the value of EDP at QD=330 million pounds? What about at QD=300 million...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT