In the notation (x1, x2), x1 is the quantity of bananas and x2 the quantity of mangoes. Which of the following statements is NOT correct?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → The bundles (5, 10) and (10, 5) are the same bundle.
In (x1, x2), the first number is bananas and the second is mangoes. So the order of the numbers matters.
Option (1) x1 and x2 can be positive or zero. — True. A bundle may have none of a good, so zero is allowed.
Option (2) The bundle (10, 5) consists of 10 bananas and 5 mangoes. — True. The first number, 10, is bananas; the second, 5, is mangoes.
Option (3) Any combination of amounts of the two goods is called a consumption bundle. — True. Any combination of the two goods is a consumption bundle.
Option (4) The bundles (5, 10) and (10, 5) are the same bundle. — False. (5, 10) has 5 bananas and 10 mangoes, so it is a different bundle from (10, 5).
NCERT (2026-27): “Preliminary Notations and Assumptions … Any combination of the amount of the two goods will be called a consumption bundle or, in short, a bundle. In general, we shall use the variable x1 to denote the quantity of bananas and x2 to denote the quantity of mangoes. x1 and x2 can be positive or zero. (x1, x2) would mean the bundle consisting of x1 quantity of bananas and x2 quantity of mangoes. For particular values of x1 and x2, (x1, x2), would give us a particular bundle. For example, the bundle (5,10) consists of 5 bananas and 10 mangoes; the bundle (10, 5) consists of 10 bananas and 5 mangoes.” |