1. The basic economic problem
Start with Concept to understand a topic, then use Question Bank to check what you know.
Your progress
Sign in to see your mastery and mistakes.
1.1. The nature of the basic economic problem
1.1.1Finite resources and infinite wants
• definition of the basic economic problem • the concept of scarcity • examples of the basic economic problem in the context of: • consumers • workers • producers/firms • governments
1.1.2Resource allocation decisions
• The three basic economic questions which determine resource allocation: • what to produce • how to produce • who to produce for
1.1.3Economic goods and free goods
• the difference between economic goods and free goods
1.2. Factors of production
• definitions of factors of production: land, labour, capital and enterprise • rewards to factors of production: rent, wages, interest and profit
• causes of changes in the quantity and quality of factors of production
1.3. Opportunity cost
• definition of opportunity cost • examples of opportunity cost in different contexts
• decisions made by consumers, workers, producers/firms and governments when allocating their resources
1.4. Production possibility curve (PPC) diagrams
• definition • drawing and interpretation of the PPC diagram
• the significance of the location of different production points
• the significance of movements along a PPC and opportunity cost
• causes and consequences of shifts of a PPC in terms of an economy’s growth