Question

Difficulty: EasyConcept and Calculation of Consumer Surplus

A student in Lagos is willing to pay a maximum of \text{\mathbb{N}}2,500 for a transit pass, but the prevailing market price is \text{\mathbb{N}}1,600. What is the consumer surplus derived by the student from purchasing the pass?

  1. ₦900Answer
  2. B
    ₦4,100
  3. C
    ₦2,500
  4. D
    ₦1,600

Answer

The consumer surplus derived by the student is ₦900.
Consumer surplus is defined as the economic benefit gained by a consumer when they pay less for a product than the maximum amount they were willing to pay. Calculating \text{\mathbb{N}}2,500 - \text{\mathbb{N}}1,600 yields \text{\mathbb{N}}900, which accurately reflects this net monetary gain.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the total willingness to pay and actual expenditure
Maximum willingness to pay = ₦2,500; Actual market price = ₦1,600
Consumer surplus requires finding the difference between maximum willingness to pay and actual price.
2
Apply the consumer surplus formula
Consumer Surplus = ₦2,500 - ₦1,600 = ₦900
Consumer Surplus = Maximum Willingness to Pay - Actual Price Paid

Key Concept

Consumer surplus is the net monetary gain or benefit a consumer receives when paying a market price that is lower than the maximum price they were willing to pay.
Estimated Time:45s
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