Use the concept of opportunity cost to explain the following. a. More people choose to get graduate degrees when the job market is poor. b. More people choose to do their own home repairs when the economy is slow and hourly wages are down. c. There are more parks in suburban than in urban areas. d. Convenience stores, which have higher prices than supermarkets, cater to busy people. e. Fewer students enroll in classes that meet before $10: 00 \mathrm{~A} . \mathrm{M}$

Short Answer

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Short Answer: a. When the job market is poor, people choose graduate degrees because the opportunity cost (potential earnings from fewer job opportunities) is lower, and they improve their skills for better future prospects. b. When hourly wages are down, people do home repairs themselves because the opportunity cost of their time is reduced, and they save money on repairs compared to hiring professionals. c. There are more parks in suburban areas because the opportunity cost of land is lower compared to urban areas, making dedicating land for parks more affordable. d. Convenience stores cater to busy people despite higher prices because the opportunity cost of these individuals' time is high, and they value the time-saving benefit of purchasing items quickly. e. Enrollment in classes before 10:00 A.M. is lower because the opportunity cost of attending these classes (additional sleep or leisure activities) is high for many students.

Step by step solution

01

a. Explain more people choosing graduate degrees when the job market is poor.

When the job market is poor, the opportunity cost of attending graduate school is lower. This is because there are fewer job opportunities available, and the potential earnings from those jobs might be lower. In such situations, people choose to invest in their education and improve their skills, hoping that by the time they complete their degrees, the job market will improve and they will be able to find better-paying jobs.
02

b. Explain more people doing home repairs when the economy is slow and hourly wages are down.

When the economy is slow and hourly wages are down, the opportunity cost of doing home repairs oneself is decreased. This is because the value of their time has reduced as they are unable to earn as much as before. So, rather than hiring professionals to do the repairs, people may choose to spend their time doing it themselves, as the benefit of saving money on repairs outweighs their reduced potential hourly earnings.
03

c. Explain more parks in suburban areas than urban areas.

The opportunity cost of land in suburban areas is generally lower than in urban areas, due to lower land prices and less competition for space. This means that dedicating land for parks in suburban areas is less expensive compared to urban areas. Urban areas have higher land value, so the opportunity cost of having a park instead of a profitable business or housing increases. Thus, more parks are often found in suburban areas.
04

d. Explain convenience stores catering to busy people despite higher prices.

Convenience stores have higher prices due to the trade-off they provide between time and cost. For busy people, the opportunity cost of their time is higher. They are willing to pay more for the convenience of quickly obtaining items they need, rather than spending the time to shop at a supermarket with lower prices. The higher prices at a convenience store essentially cover the cost of the time-saving benefit for busy individuals.
05

e. Explain fewer students enrolling in classes that meet before 10:00 A.M.

Students enrolling in early-morning classes face a trade-off between sleep or other leisure activities and attending class. The opportunity cost of attending a class before 10:00 A.M. is the value of the extra sleep or leisure time. As many students prefer to sleep or engage in leisurely activities during those hours, they might not enroll in early-morning classes. Thus, the high opportunity cost of early-morning classes leads to lower enrollment rates.

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