{"id":263,"date":"2015-04-22T03:55:30","date_gmt":"2015-04-22T03:55:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.candelalearning.com\/masterymicro1xngcxmaster\/?post_type=chapter&p=263"},"modified":"2016-07-26T22:49:06","modified_gmt":"2016-07-26T22:49:06","slug":"choosing-with-marginal-utility","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/atd-herkimer-microeconomics\/chapter\/choosing-with-marginal-utility\/","title":{"raw":"Reading: Choosing with Marginal Utility","rendered":"Reading: Choosing with Marginal Utility"},"content":{"raw":"

Choosing with Marginal Utility<\/h2>\r\nMost people approach their utility-maximizing combination of choices in a step-by-step way. This step-by-step approach is based on looking at the tradeoffs, measured in terms of marginal utility, of consuming less of one good and more of another. You can think of this step-by-step approach as the \u201cbiggest bang for the buck\u201d principle.\r\n\r\nFor example, say that Jos\u00e9 starts off thinking about spending all his money on T-shirts and choosing point P, which corresponds to four T-shirts and no movies, as illustrated in Figure 6.2.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"585\"]\"The Figure 6.2<\/strong>\u00a0.A Choice between Consumption Goods. Jos\u00e9 has income of $56. Movies cost $7 and T-shirts cost $14. The points on the budget constraint line show the combinations of movies and T-shirts that are affordable.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nJos\u00e9 chooses this starting point randomly; he has to start somewhere. Then he considers giving up the last T-shirt, the one that provides him the least marginal utility, and using the money he saves to buy two movies instead. Table 6.4 tracks the step-by-step series of decisions Jos\u00e9 needs to make (Key<\/em><\/span>: T-shirts are $14, movies are $7, and income is $56).\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Table 6.4. A Step-by-Step Approach to Maximizing Utility<\/span><\/caption>\r\n
Try<\/th>\r\nWhich Has<\/th>\r\nTotal Utility<\/th>\r\nMarginal Gain and Loss of Utility, Compared with Previous Choice<\/th>\r\nConclusion<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n
Choice 1: P<\/td>\r\n4 T-shirts and 0 movies<\/td>\r\n81 from 4 T-shirts + 0 from 0 movies = 81<\/td>\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u2013<\/td>\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u2013<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Choice 2: Q<\/td>\r\n3 T-shirts and 2 movies<\/td>\r\n63 from 3 T-shirts + 31 from 0 movies = 94<\/td>\r\nLoss of 18 from 1 less T-shirt, but gain of 31 from 2 more movies, for a net utility gain of 13<\/td>\r\nQ is preferred over P<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Choice 3: R<\/td>\r\n2 T-shirts and 4 movies<\/td>\r\n43 from 2 T-shirts + 58 from 4 movies = 101<\/td>\r\nLoss of 20 from 1 less T-shirt, but gain of 27 from two more movies for a net utility gain of 7<\/td>\r\nR is preferred over Q<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Choice 4: S<\/td>\r\n1 T-shirt and 6 movies<\/td>\r\n22 from 1 T-shirt + 81 from 6 movies = 103<\/td>\r\nLoss of 21 from 1 less T-shirt, but gain of 23 from two more movies, for a net utility gain of 2<\/td>\r\nS is preferred over R<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Choice 5: T<\/td>\r\n0 T-shirts and 8 movies<\/td>\r\n0 from 0 T-shirts + 100 from 8 movies = 100<\/td>\r\nLoss of 22 from 1 less T-shirt, but gain of 19 from two more movies, for a net utility loss of 3<\/td>\r\nS is preferred over T<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n

DECISION MAKING BY COMPARING MARGINAL UTILITY<\/h3>\r\nJos\u00e9 could use the following thought process (if he thought in utils) to make his decision regarding how many T-shirts and movies to purchase:\r\n\r\nStep 1.<\/strong> From Table 6.4, Jos\u00e9 can see that the marginal utility of the fourth T-shirt is 18. If Jos\u00e9 gives up the fourth T-shirt, then he loses 18 utils.\r\n\r\nStep 2.<\/strong> Giving up the fourth T-shirt, however, frees up $14 (the price of a T-shirt), allowing Jos\u00e9 to buy the first two movies (at $7 each).\r\n\r\nStep 3.<\/strong> Jos\u00e9 knows that the marginal utility of the first movie is 16 and the marginal utility of the second movie is 15. Thus, if Jos\u00e9 moves from point P to point Q, he gives up 18 utils (from the T-shirt), but gains 31 utils (from the movies).\r\n\r\nStep 4.<\/strong> Gaining 31 utils and losing 18 utils is a net gain of 13. This is just another way of saying that the total utility at Q (94 according to the last column in Table 6.3) is 13 more than the total utility at P (81).\r\n\r\nStep 5.<\/strong> So, for Jos\u00e9, it makes sense to give up the fourth T-shirt in order to buy two movies.\r\n\r\nJos\u00e9 clearly prefers point Q to point P. Now repeat this step-by-step process of decision making with marginal utilities. Jos\u00e9 thinks about giving up the third T-shirt and surrendering a marginal utility of 20, in exchange for purchasing two more movies that promise a combined marginal utility of 27. Jos\u00e9 prefers point R to point Q. What if Jos\u00e9 thinks about going beyond R to point S? Giving up the second T-shirt means a marginal utility loss of 21, and the marginal utility gain from the fifth and sixth movies would combine to make a marginal utility gain of 23, so Jos\u00e9 prefers point S to R.\r\n\r\nHowever, if Jos\u00e9 seeks to go beyond point S to point T, he finds that the loss of marginal utility from giving up the first T-shirt is 22, while the marginal utility gain from the last two movies is only a total of 19. If Jos\u00e9 were to choose point T, his utility would fall to 100. Through these stages of thinking about marginal tradeoffs, Jos\u00e9 again concludes that S, with one T-shirt and six movies, is the choice that will provide him with the highest level of total utility. This step-by-step approach will reach the same conclusion regardless of Jos\u00e9's starting point.\r\n\r\nAnother way to look at this is by focusing on satisfaction per dollar. Marginal utility per dollar<\/em><\/a> is the amount of additional utility Jos\u00e9 receives given the price of the product.\r\n

marginal\u00a0utility\u00a0per dollar\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>=\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>marginal\u00a0utility\/<\/span>price<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\r\nFor Jos\u00e9's T-shirts and movies, the marginal utility per dollar is shown in Table 6.5.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Table 6.5 Marginal Utility per Dollar<\/span><\/caption>\r\n
Quantity of T-Shirts<\/th>\r\nTotal Utility<\/th>\r\nMarginal Utility<\/th>\r\nMarginal Utility per Dollar<\/th>\r\nQuantity of Movies<\/th>\r\nTotal Utility<\/th>\r\nMarginal Utility<\/th>\r\nMarginal Utility per Dollar<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n
1<\/strong><\/td>\r\n22<\/strong><\/td>\r\n22<\/strong><\/td>\r\n\u00a0\u00a022\/$14=1.6<\/strong><\/td>\r\n1<\/td>\r\n16<\/td>\r\n16<\/td>\r\n16\/$7=2.3<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
2<\/td>\r\n43<\/td>\r\n21<\/td>\r\n\u00a0\u00a021\/$14=1.5<\/td>\r\n2<\/td>\r\n31<\/td>\r\n15<\/td>\r\n15\/$7=2.14<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
3<\/td>\r\n63<\/td>\r\n20<\/td>\r\n\u00a0\u00a020\/$14=1.4<\/td>\r\n3<\/td>\r\n45<\/td>\r\n14<\/td>\r\n14\/$7=2<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
4<\/td>\r\n81<\/td>\r\n18<\/td>\r\n\u00a0\u00a018\/$14=1.3<\/td>\r\n4<\/td>\r\n58<\/td>\r\n13<\/td>\r\n13\/$7=1.9<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
5<\/td>\r\n97<\/td>\r\n16<\/td>\r\n\u00a0\u00a016\/$14=1.1<\/td>\r\n5<\/td>\r\n70<\/td>\r\n12<\/td>\r\n12\/$7=1.7<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
6<\/td>\r\n111<\/td>\r\n14<\/td>\r\n\u00a0\u00a014\/$14=1<\/td>\r\n6<\/strong><\/td>\r\n81<\/strong><\/td>\r\n11<\/strong><\/td>\r\n11\/$7=1.6<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
7<\/td>\r\n123<\/td>\r\n12<\/td>\r\n\u00a0\u00a012\/$14=1.2<\/td>\r\n7<\/td>\r\n91<\/td>\r\n10<\/td>\r\n10\/$7=1.4<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\nJos\u00e9's first purchase will be a movie. Why? Because it gives him the highest marginal utility per dollar and it is affordable. Jos\u00e9 will continue to purchase the good which gives him the highest marginal utility per dollar until he exhausts the budget. Jos\u00e9 will keep purchasing movies because they give him a greater \"bang for the buck\" until the sixth movie is equivalent to a T-shirt purchase. Jos\u00e9 can afford to purchase that T-shirt. So Jos\u00e9 will choose to purchase six movies and one T-shirt.\r\n

Self Check: Defining Utility<\/h2>\r\nAnswer the question(s) below to see how well you understand the topics covered in the previous section. This short quiz does not<\/strong> count toward your grade in the class, and you can retake it an unlimited number of times.\r\n

You\u2019ll have more success on the Self Check if you\u2019ve completed the three Readings in this section.<\/span><\/p>\r\nUse this quiz to check your understanding and decide whether to (1) study the previous section further or (2) move on to the next section.\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/assessments.lumenlearning.com\/assessments\/634","rendered":"

Choosing with Marginal Utility<\/h2>\n

Most people approach their utility-maximizing combination of choices in a step-by-step way. This step-by-step approach is based on looking at the tradeoffs, measured in terms of marginal utility, of consuming less of one good and more of another. You can think of this step-by-step approach as the \u201cbiggest bang for the buck\u201d principle.<\/p>\n

For example, say that Jos\u00e9 starts off thinking about spending all his money on T-shirts and choosing point P, which corresponds to four T-shirts and no movies, as illustrated in Figure 6.2.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Figure 6.2<\/strong>\u00a0.A Choice between Consumption Goods. Jos\u00e9 has income of $56. Movies cost $7 and T-shirts cost $14. The points on the budget constraint line show the combinations of movies and T-shirts that are affordable.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jos\u00e9 chooses this starting point randomly; he has to start somewhere. Then he considers giving up the last T-shirt, the one that provides him the least marginal utility, and using the money he saves to buy two movies instead. Table 6.4 tracks the step-by-step series of decisions Jos\u00e9 needs to make (Key<\/em><\/span>: T-shirts are $14, movies are $7, and income is $56).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Table 6.4. A Step-by-Step Approach to Maximizing Utility<\/span><\/caption>\n
Try<\/th>\nWhich Has<\/th>\nTotal Utility<\/th>\nMarginal Gain and Loss of Utility, Compared with Previous Choice<\/th>\nConclusion<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Choice 1: P<\/td>\n4 T-shirts and 0 movies<\/td>\n81 from 4 T-shirts + 0 from 0 movies = 81<\/td>\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u2013<\/td>\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u2013<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Choice 2: Q<\/td>\n3 T-shirts and 2 movies<\/td>\n63 from 3 T-shirts + 31 from 0 movies = 94<\/td>\nLoss of 18 from 1 less T-shirt, but gain of 31 from 2 more movies, for a net utility gain of 13<\/td>\nQ is preferred over P<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Choice 3: R<\/td>\n2 T-shirts and 4 movies<\/td>\n43 from 2 T-shirts + 58 from 4 movies = 101<\/td>\nLoss of 20 from 1 less T-shirt, but gain of 27 from two more movies for a net utility gain of 7<\/td>\nR is preferred over Q<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Choice 4: S<\/td>\n1 T-shirt and 6 movies<\/td>\n22 from 1 T-shirt + 81 from 6 movies = 103<\/td>\nLoss of 21 from 1 less T-shirt, but gain of 23 from two more movies, for a net utility gain of 2<\/td>\nS is preferred over R<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Choice 5: T<\/td>\n0 T-shirts and 8 movies<\/td>\n0 from 0 T-shirts + 100 from 8 movies = 100<\/td>\nLoss of 22 from 1 less T-shirt, but gain of 19 from two more movies, for a net utility loss of 3<\/td>\nS is preferred over T<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

DECISION MAKING BY COMPARING MARGINAL UTILITY<\/h3>\n

Jos\u00e9 could use the following thought process (if he thought in utils) to make his decision regarding how many T-shirts and movies to purchase:<\/p>\n

Step 1.<\/strong> From Table 6.4, Jos\u00e9 can see that the marginal utility of the fourth T-shirt is 18. If Jos\u00e9 gives up the fourth T-shirt, then he loses 18 utils.<\/p>\n

Step 2.<\/strong> Giving up the fourth T-shirt, however, frees up $14 (the price of a T-shirt), allowing Jos\u00e9 to buy the first two movies (at $7 each).<\/p>\n

Step 3.<\/strong> Jos\u00e9 knows that the marginal utility of the first movie is 16 and the marginal utility of the second movie is 15. Thus, if Jos\u00e9 moves from point P to point Q, he gives up 18 utils (from the T-shirt), but gains 31 utils (from the movies).<\/p>\n

Step 4.<\/strong> Gaining 31 utils and losing 18 utils is a net gain of 13. This is just another way of saying that the total utility at Q (94 according to the last column in Table 6.3) is 13 more than the total utility at P (81).<\/p>\n

Step 5.<\/strong> So, for Jos\u00e9, it makes sense to give up the fourth T-shirt in order to buy two movies.<\/p>\n

Jos\u00e9 clearly prefers point Q to point P. Now repeat this step-by-step process of decision making with marginal utilities. Jos\u00e9 thinks about giving up the third T-shirt and surrendering a marginal utility of 20, in exchange for purchasing two more movies that promise a combined marginal utility of 27. Jos\u00e9 prefers point R to point Q. What if Jos\u00e9 thinks about going beyond R to point S? Giving up the second T-shirt means a marginal utility loss of 21, and the marginal utility gain from the fifth and sixth movies would combine to make a marginal utility gain of 23, so Jos\u00e9 prefers point S to R.<\/p>\n

However, if Jos\u00e9 seeks to go beyond point S to point T, he finds that the loss of marginal utility from giving up the first T-shirt is 22, while the marginal utility gain from the last two movies is only a total of 19. If Jos\u00e9 were to choose point T, his utility would fall to 100. Through these stages of thinking about marginal tradeoffs, Jos\u00e9 again concludes that S, with one T-shirt and six movies, is the choice that will provide him with the highest level of total utility. This step-by-step approach will reach the same conclusion regardless of Jos\u00e9’s starting point.<\/p>\n

Another way to look at this is by focusing on satisfaction per dollar. Marginal utility per dollar<\/em><\/a> is the amount of additional utility Jos\u00e9 receives given the price of the product.<\/p>\n

marginal\u00a0utility\u00a0per dollar\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>=\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>marginal\u00a0utility\/<\/span>price<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

For Jos\u00e9’s T-shirts and movies, the marginal utility per dollar is shown in Table 6.5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Table 6.5 Marginal Utility per Dollar<\/span><\/caption>\n
Quantity of T-Shirts<\/th>\nTotal Utility<\/th>\nMarginal Utility<\/th>\nMarginal Utility per Dollar<\/th>\nQuantity of Movies<\/th>\nTotal Utility<\/th>\nMarginal Utility<\/th>\nMarginal Utility per Dollar<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
1<\/strong><\/td>\n22<\/strong><\/td>\n22<\/strong><\/td>\n\u00a0\u00a022\/$14=1.6<\/strong><\/td>\n1<\/td>\n16<\/td>\n16<\/td>\n16\/$7=2.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2<\/td>\n43<\/td>\n21<\/td>\n\u00a0\u00a021\/$14=1.5<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n31<\/td>\n15<\/td>\n15\/$7=2.14<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3<\/td>\n63<\/td>\n20<\/td>\n\u00a0\u00a020\/$14=1.4<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n45<\/td>\n14<\/td>\n14\/$7=2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4<\/td>\n81<\/td>\n18<\/td>\n\u00a0\u00a018\/$14=1.3<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n58<\/td>\n13<\/td>\n13\/$7=1.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5<\/td>\n97<\/td>\n16<\/td>\n\u00a0\u00a016\/$14=1.1<\/td>\n5<\/td>\n70<\/td>\n12<\/td>\n12\/$7=1.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
6<\/td>\n111<\/td>\n14<\/td>\n\u00a0\u00a014\/$14=1<\/td>\n6<\/strong><\/td>\n81<\/strong><\/td>\n11<\/strong><\/td>\n11\/$7=1.6<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
7<\/td>\n123<\/td>\n12<\/td>\n\u00a0\u00a012\/$14=1.2<\/td>\n7<\/td>\n91<\/td>\n10<\/td>\n10\/$7=1.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Jos\u00e9’s first purchase will be a movie. Why? Because it gives him the highest marginal utility per dollar and it is affordable. Jos\u00e9 will continue to purchase the good which gives him the highest marginal utility per dollar until he exhausts the budget. Jos\u00e9 will keep purchasing movies because they give him a greater “bang for the buck” until the sixth movie is equivalent to a T-shirt purchase. Jos\u00e9 can afford to purchase that T-shirt. So Jos\u00e9 will choose to purchase six movies and one T-shirt.<\/p>\n

Self Check: Defining Utility<\/h2>\n

Answer the question(s) below to see how well you understand the topics covered in the previous section. This short quiz does not<\/strong> count toward your grade in the class, and you can retake it an unlimited number of times.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll have more success on the Self Check if you\u2019ve completed the three Readings in this section.<\/span><\/p>\n

Use this quiz to check your understanding and decide whether to (1) study the previous section further or (2) move on to the next section.<\/p>\n

\t