AP Macroeconomics · Unit 1 · Topic 1.2
Opportunity cost
Spend six hours
Pick a subject, then tap the hours you want to give it. Watch where each plan lands on the graph.
0 English6 Calculus
Every plan starts from 6 hours of Calculus. Give some hours to English.
Tonight's possibilities
- Your plan
- Full plans you've tried
Measure a move
The table and the graph hold the same seven plans. Pick where you start, then where you move. The graph measures what you gain and what you give up.
| Plan | English | Calculus |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 6 | |
| 1 | 5 | |
| 2 | 4 | |
| 3 | 3 | |
| 4 | 2 | |
| 5 | 1 | |
| 6 | 0 |
Six hours, seven plans
Tap a plan in the table or on the graph to start.
A second tap picks where you move. Tap a plan again to unpick it.
Check
What is the opportunity cost of moving from point C to point D?
Count what you make
Real PPCs count goods, not hours. In one hour you can write 2 English essays or finish 1 Calculus problem set. Slide along the line and watch what each step costs.
Output from six hours
2 problem sets · 8 essays
One more problem set costs
2 essays
The hour it takes could have written 2 essays.
One more essay costs
½ problem set
An essay takes half an hour, half of a problem set's hour.
Check
What is the opportunity cost of 1 problem set?
Check
What is the opportunity cost of 1 essay?
Lab summary
Each case study unlocks one big idea
The trade-off
Calculating opportunity cost
Per-unit opportunity cost