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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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SCARCE RESOURCES Labor, capital, land, and entrepreneurship used by society to produce consumer satisfying goods and services. Scarce resources, also termed just resources, are often given the more descriptive term factors of production.
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North Carolina supplied all the domestic gold coined for currency by the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia until 1828.
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"In a restless, creative business with an emphasis on experiment and development, ideas are the lifeblood." -- Richard Branson, Virgin Group founder
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FX
Foreign Exchange
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