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DIAMOND-WATER PARADOX: The perplexing observation that water, which is more useful than diamonds, has a lower price. If price is related to utility, how can this occur? This paradox was first proposed by classical economists in the 19th century and was subsequently used as a stepping stone for developing the notion of marginal utility and the role it plays in the demand price of a good. The paradox is magically cleared up with an understanding of marginal utility and total utility. People are willing to pay a higher price for goods with greater marginal utility. As such, water which is plentiful has enormous total utility, but a low price because of a low marginal utility. Diamonds, however, have less total utility because they are less plentiful, but a high price because of a high marginal utility.
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UTIL A hypothetical unit of measurement of utility that is commonly used by economists to present hypothetical information about utility and consumer demand theory. The util measurement unit was developed as a convenient way to illustrate and discuss concepts such as total utility, marginal utility, and the law of diminishing marginal utility. However, because utility is not a measurable characteristic, the util does represent an actual unit of measurement, such as inches or pounds.
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BEIGE MUNDORTLE
[What's This?]
Today, you are likely to spend a great deal of time watching the shopping channel hoping to buy either a T-shirt commemorating Thor Heyerdahl's Pacific crossing aboard the Kon-Tiki or a wall poster commemorating the 2000 Olympics. Be on the lookout for mail order catalogs with hidden messages.
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The penny is the only coin minted by the U.S. government in which the "face" on the head looks to the right. All others face left.
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"Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got a hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations." -- George Bernard Shaw
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Bank Note
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