A-Level经济例题解析及练习Opportunity Cost

例题

Question: Opportunity Cost

You are selling your 1996 Mustang.  You have already spent $1000 on repairs. 

At the last minute, the transmission dies.  You can pay $600 to have it repaired, or sell the car “as is.”

In each of the following scenarios, should you have the transmission repaired?  Explain.

A. Blue book value is $6500 if transmission works,$5700 if it doesn’t

B. Blue book value is $6000 if transmission works,$5500 if it doesn’t

解析

Cost of fixing transmission = $600

A. Blue book value is $6500 if transmission works, $5700 if it doesn’t

Benefit of fixing the transmission = $800 ($6500 – 5700).

It’s worthwhile to have the transmission fixed.

B. Blue book value is $6000 if transmission works, $5500 if it doesn’t

Benefit of fixing the transmission is only $500.

Paying $600 to fix transmission is not worthwhile.

Observations:

• The $1000 you previously spent on repairs is irrelevant.  What matters is the cost and benefit
  of the marginal repair (the transmission).

• The change in incentives from scenario A to scenario B caused your decision to change. 

下面我们为大家准备了一道同类型的题目，请大家一起来试试解答。

Question: Opportunity Cost

Jayne decides to use the train to get to work rather than driving each day. The train fare each month will be $350. After one month she calculates that she is spending$250 less on petrol and about $25 less on maintaining her car. What is the opportunity cost of using the train?

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正确答案：

Cost of using train pm = $350.

Cost of using the car pm = $250 + $25 = $275

Opportunity cost of using the train = $350 - $275 = $75 per month