Activity 1
Use the table below of a typical monopolist and plot the revenue curves on the same set of axes. Notice the position of the Marginal revenue curve in relation to the Demand curve.
Price | Quantity | Total revenue | Average revenue | Marginal revenue |
- | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
100 | 1 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
90 | 2 | 180 | 90 | 80 |
80 | 3 | 240 | 80 | 60 |
70 | 4 | 280 | 70 | 40 |
60 | 5 | 300 | 60 | 20 |
50 | 6 | 300 | 50 | 0 |
40 | 7 | 280 | 40 | -20 |
30 | 8 | 240 | 30 | -40 |
Activity 2
Complete the following table by filling in the missing information:
Characteristics | Perfect market | Monopolistic competition | Oligopoly | Monopoly |
So many competitors that a singlebusiness cannot influence the market price | So few competitors that each business takes the actions of the others into account | |||
Market entry | Completely free | Free | ||
Downward sloping | ||||
Long-term economic profit | Positive | |||
Seller market power | ||||
Control over price | Some control | Considerably more than oligopoly | ||
Examples | Fast-food outlets | Eskom |
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Answer to activity 2
Characteristics | Perfect market | Monopolistic competition | Oligopoly | Monopoly |
Number of businesses | So many competitors that a single business cannot influence the market price | A very large number | So few competitors that each business takes the actions of the others into account | One business |
Market entry | Completely free | Free | Free to restricted | Blocked |
Demand curve | Slopes from left to right | Downward sloping | Downward sloping | Downward sloping = market demand |
Long term economic profit | Normal profit | Normal profit | Positive | Positive |
Seller market power | None, price-taker | Some | A whole lot | Many (price-maker) |
Control over price | None | Few | Considerable | Considerably more than oligopoly |
Examples | Gold and oil | Fast-food outlets | Petrol and oil | Eskom |
[20]
Activity 3
Study the following graph and answer the questions that follow:
Answers to activity 3
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