1. Consumer Choice and Utility Maximization
The Law of Diminishing “ADDITIONAL” “SATISFACTION”

2. Would you see the movie three times?
Thinking at the Margin
# Times Watching Movie
Marginal Utility
Price
1st
$30
$10
2nd
$15
3rd $5
Total
$50
Would you see the movie three times?
Notice that the total benefit is more than the total cost but you would NOT watch the movie the 3rd time.

3. Calculate Marginal Utility
# of Slices of Pizza
Total Utility
(in utils)
Marginal Utility/Benefit 1 8 2 14 3 19 4 23 5 25 6 26 7 24
How many pizzas would you buy if the price per slice was $2?

4. Calculate Marginal Utility
# of Slices of Pizza
Total Utility
(in dollars)
Marginal Utility/Benefit 1 8 2 14 6 3 19 5 4 23 25 26 7 24 -2
Marginal Cost $2
How many pizzas would you buy if the price per slice was $2?

5. Calculate Marginal Utility
# of Slices of Pizza
Total Utility
(in dollars)
Marginal Utility/Benefit 1 8 2 14 6 3 19 5 4 23 25 26 7 24 -2
Marginal Cost 2
You will continue to consume until Marginal Benefit = Marginal Cost
How many pizzas would you buy if the price per slice was $2?

6. Marginal Utility Per Dollar
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
You plan to take a vacation and want to maximize your utility. Based on the info below, which should you choose?
Destination
Marginal Utility
(In Utils)
Price
Tahiti
3000
$3,000
St. Augustine
1000
$500
Marginal Utility Per Dollar
1 Util
2 Utils

7. Marginal Utility Per Dollar
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
You plan to take a vacation and want to maximize your utility. Based on the info below, which should you choose?
Destination
Marginal Utility
(In Utils)
Price
Tahiti
3000
$3,000
St. Augustine
1000
$500
Marginal Utility Per Dollar
1 Util
2 Utils
Calculating Marginal Utility Per Dollar allows you to compare products with different prices.

8. Utility Maximization $10 $5
Movies
Go Karts
# Times
Going
Marginal Utility
(Movies)
MU/P
(Price =$10)
Marginal
Utility
(Go Carts)
(Price =$5)
1st 30 10
2nd 20 5
3rd 2
4th 1
If you only have $25, what combination of movies and go carts maximizes your utility?

9. Utility Maximization $10 $5
Movies
Go Karts
# Times
Going
Marginal Utility
(Movies)
MU/P
(Price =$10)
Marginal
Utility
(Go Carts)
(Price =$5)
1st 30 3 10 $2
2nd 20 5 $1
3rd 2
$.40
4th
$.50 1
$.20
If you only have $25, what combination of movies and go carts maximizes your utility?

10. Utility Maximization $10 $5
Movies
Go Karts
# Times
Going
Marginal Utility
(Movies)
MU/P
(Price =$10)
Marginal
Utility
(Go Carts)
(Price =$5)
1st 30 3 10 2
2nd 20 $2 5 $1
3rd
$.40
4th
$.50 1
$.20
If you only have $25, what combination of movies and go carts maximizes your utility?

11. Utility Maximization $10 $5
Movies
Go Karts
# Times
Going
Marginal Utility
(Movies)
MU/P
(Price =$10)
Marginal
Utility
(Go Carts)
(Price =$5)
1st 30 3 10 2
2nd 20 5 1
3rd
.40
4th
.50
.20
If you only have $25, what combination of movies and go carts maximizes your utility?

12. Utility Maximizing Rule Let’s see add a column for marginal utility.
The consumer’s money should be spent so that the marginal utility per dollar of each goods equal each other.
MUx = MUy
Px Py
Let’s see add a column for marginal utility.
3 apples and 2 oranges
Assume apples cost $1 each and oranges cost $2 each. If the consumer has $7, identify the combination that maximizes utility.

13. Utility Maximizing Rule Take a minute or two calculate this out.
The consumer’s money should be spent so that the marginal utility per dollar of each goods equal each other.
MUx = Muy
Px Py
Take a minute or two calculate this out.
Apples
Oranges
Total
Marginal
Quantity
Utility 1 20 30 2 35 50 3 45 65 4 75 5 52 80 30 20 15
Now, MU/P…
3 apples and 2 oranges
Assume apples cost $1 each and oranges cost $2 each. If the consumer has $7, identify the combination that maximizes utility.

14. Utility Maximizing Rule
The consumer’s money should be spent so that the marginal utility per dollar of each goods equal each other.
Take a minute or two calculate this out.
Apples
Oranges
Total
Marginal
Quantity
Utility
MU/P 1 20 30 2 35 15 50 3 45 10 65 4 5 75 52 80
3 apples and 2 oranges
Apples cost $1 each and oranges cost $2 each.
If the consumer has $7, identify the combination that maximizes utility.

15. Utility Maximizing Rule
The utility maximizing rule assumes that you always consume where MU/P for each product is equal 15