QUESTION 3
[45 Marks]
i. The coconut oil demand function {Buschena and Perloff, 1991) is
+ + Q = 1200. - 9,Sp 16,2pp 0.2YJ Q is the quantity of coconut oil demanded in
thousands of metric tons per year, pis the price of coconut oil in cents per pound, pp is
the price of palm oil in cents per pound, and Y is the income of consumers. Assume that
p is initially 45C per N$, pp is 31C N$, and Q is 1,275 thousand metric tons per year.
Calculate the price and cross-price elasticities of demand for coconut oil.
(10)
ii. Given a linear supply function is Q = g + hp. Derive a formula for the elasticity of supply
in terms of p (and not Q). Now write a formula entirely in terms of Q.
{10)
iii. Outline the properties of an indifference curve.
(8)
iv. Define Marginal rate of technical substitution.
(2)
v. Eslon's utility function is U{B, Z) =ABczzb .What is his marginal utility of 8? What is his
marginal utility of Z? What is his marginal rate of substitution between Band Z? {10)
vi. Michelle has a utility function U{B, Z) = ABczzb, where A, a, and are constants, Bis
burritos, and Z is pizzas. If the price of burritos, P8 , is N$2 and the price of pizzas, Pz, is
N$1, and Y is $100, what is Michelle's budget line and the marginal rate of
transformation? (Note: burritos are on the vertical axis).
(5)
QUESTION 4
Give the formulas for AFC, MC, AVC, and AC if the cost function is:
a)
C = 10 + q 2•
b)
C=10+10q-4q 2 +q 3.
[25 Marks]
TOTAL= 100 MARKS
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