Matthew Hamming is stranded on an island. He has decided that he will spend exactly 10 hours a day gathering food. He can either spend this time gathering coconuts or catching fish. He can catch 2 fish per hour and he can gather 3 coconuts per hour. Matthew's utility function is U(FC) = 3F0.6 0.3 a. How many fish should Matthew catch and how many coconuts should he gather so that his consumption maximizes his utility? Illustrate the equilibrium with a graph b. One day a native inhabitant of another island arrives on the island. The visitor offers Matthew trade of 3 fish for 1 coconut. The trade fee costs 1 fish (that must be paid prior to the exchange). Will Matthew decide to trade? What will Matthew produce and consume? Justify your answer and provide a graph.

Economics: Private and Public Choice (MindTap Course List)
16th Edition
ISBN:9781305506725
Author:James D. Gwartney, Richard L. Stroup, Russell S. Sobel, David A. Macpherson
Publisher:James D. Gwartney, Richard L. Stroup, Russell S. Sobel, David A. Macpherson
Chapter20: Consumer Choice And Elasticity
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Matthew Hamming is stranded on an island. He has decided that he will spend exactly 10
hours a day gathering food. He can either spend this time gathering coconuts or catching
fish. He can catch 2 fish per hour and he can gather 3 coconuts per hour. Matthew's
utility function is
U(FC) = 3F0.60.3
a.
How many fish should Matthew catch and how many coconuts should he gather
so that his consumption maximizes his utility? Illustrate the equilibrium with a
graph
b. One day a native inhabitant of another island arrives on the island. The visitor
offers Matthew trade of 3 fish for 1 coconut. The trade fee costs 1 fish (that must
be paid prior to the exchange). Will Matthew decide to trade? What will Matthew
produce and consume? Justify your answer and provide a graph.
Transcribed Image Text:Matthew Hamming is stranded on an island. He has decided that he will spend exactly 10 hours a day gathering food. He can either spend this time gathering coconuts or catching fish. He can catch 2 fish per hour and he can gather 3 coconuts per hour. Matthew's utility function is U(FC) = 3F0.60.3 a. How many fish should Matthew catch and how many coconuts should he gather so that his consumption maximizes his utility? Illustrate the equilibrium with a graph b. One day a native inhabitant of another island arrives on the island. The visitor offers Matthew trade of 3 fish for 1 coconut. The trade fee costs 1 fish (that must be paid prior to the exchange). Will Matthew decide to trade? What will Matthew produce and consume? Justify your answer and provide a graph.
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