ECO 1413 Chapter 1: Principles of Economics

Definition of Economics

Types of Goods

Opportunity costs/Tradeoffs

5 basic questions

Factors of production

Concerned with the efficient use of limited or scarce resources to achieve maximum satisfaction of human materials wants.

Human wants are unlimited, but the means to satisfy the wants are limited.

economics is the study of the use of scarce resource to satisfy unlimited human wants.

Microeconomics - Study the behavior and interactions among the various individuals and organizations within an economic system

Economic goods

Free goods

Economic Bads

Since there are not enough available resources to satisfy the wants of individuals, so it forces them must made choice among available alternatives.

defined as the cost of not selecting the ‘next best’ item.

Labor

Capital

Land

Entreprenuership

How should those goods and services be produced?

When should the goods or services be produced?

How many units of goods or services should be produced?

How should those goods or services be distributed among the members of society?

What goods and services should be produced?

Decisions require comparing costs and benefits of alternatives. The opportunity cost of an item is what you give up to obtain that item