11. XYZ Corp spent $1500 on a new computer. The opportunity cost of the computer was:
A. $0, because it is a sunk cost
B. $0, because it is an explicit cost
C. $1500, the amount spent on the computer
D. $1500 minus the amount XYZ could get reselling it

Question

11. XYZ Corp spent $1500 on a new computer. The opportunity cost of the computer was:
A.    $0, because it is a sunk cost
B.    $0, because it is an explicit cost
C.    $1500, the amount spent on the computer
D.    $1500 minus the amount XYZ could get reselling it

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Opportunity cost equals the value of the next-best alternative forgone, so the $1,500 used to buy the computer represents resources that could have been used for other purposes (investment, other equipment, or consumption). That foregone value is the opportunity cost.

Relevant concepts:
- Opportunity cost: the benefit of the next-best alternative that is given up when a choice is made.
- Explicit (accounting) cost: money actually spent (here $1,500).
- Sunk cost: a past expenditure that cannot be recovered; while the $1,500 becomes a sunk cost after purchase, that does not make its opportunity cost zero.

Step-by-step reasoning:
1. Before the purchase, XYZ had $1,500 that could be allocated to different uses. Choosing the computer means giving up the best of those alternatives.
2. The dollar amount representing those forgone alternatives is $1,500, because that is the resource expended to acquire the computer.
3. After purchase the $1,500 is indeed a sunk cost for accounting purposes, but the opportunity cost (what was sacrificed to obtain the computer) is still the value of what the money could have earned or purchased instead — i.e., $1,500.
4. Option D’s formulation ($1,500 minus resale value) confuses net monetary loss or salvage value with the opportunity cost at the time of purchase. Resale value affects future net cash flows or depreciation calculations but does not change the original opportunity cost of the funds when the purchase decision was made.

Why other choices are incorrect:
- A: Incorrect — labeling it a sunk cost does not make the opportunity cost zero; the original forgone alternatives still had value.
- B: Incorrect — being an explicit cost (a real expenditure) does not nullify opportunity cost.
- D: Incorrect — subtracting a potential resale value converts to net expenditure after resale, not the opportunity cost of choosing to spend the $1,500 initially.

Therefore the correct answer is C: $1,500, the amount spent on the computer, which matches the provided answer.

11. XYZ Corp spent $1500 on a new computer. The opportunity cost of the computer was: A. $0, because it is a sunk cost B. $0, because it is an explicit cost C. $1500, the amount spent on the computer D. $1500 minus the amount XYZ could get reselling it单项选择题

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