📚 Core Knowledge Review for Year 10 OCR Economics | Year 10 OCR 经济：核心知识点梳理
Year 10 OCR Economics introduces students to the fundamental principles of economics, focusing mainly on microeconomic concepts. This article revisits the core knowledge areas you need to master, from scarcity and the basic economic problem to how markets work, elasticity, market failure and the labour market. Each section provides clear explanations to strengthen your understanding and prepare you for assessment.
Year 10 OCR 经济学为学生介绍经济学基础原理，重点集中在微观经济概念。本文梳理你必须掌握的核心知识领域，从稀缺性和基本经济问题到市场如何运作、弹性、市场失灵以及劳动力市场。每个部分提供清晰的解释，以加深理解并为评估做好准备。
1. The Basic Economic Problem | 基本经济问题
The basic economic problem arises because resources are limited but human wants are unlimited. This forces societies to make choices about what to produce, how to produce and for whom to produce.
基本经济问题源于资源有限而人类欲望无限。这迫使社会做出选择：生产什么、如何生产以及为谁生产。
Scarcity is a relative concept – it means there are not enough resources to satisfy all wants. Even wealthy individuals and countries face scarcity because wants always exceed available resources.
稀缺性是一个相对概念——它意味着没有足够的资源来满足所有欲望。即使是富裕的个人和国家也面临稀缺，因为欲望总超过可用资源。
Every economic decision involves an opportunity cost, which is the value of the next best alternative forgone. Understanding scarcity and choice is the foundation of all economic analysis.
每个经济决策都涉及机会成本，即所放弃的次佳选择的价值。理解稀缺性和选择是所有经济分析的基础。
2. Factors of Production | 生产要素
Resources, or factors of production, are the inputs used to produce goods and services. They are classified into four categories: land, labour, capital and enterprise.
资源或生产要素是用于生产商品和服务的投入。它们分为四类：土地、劳动、资本和企业家才能。
Land includes all natural resources such as minerals, forests, water and land itself. The reward for land is rent.
土地包括所有自然资源，如矿产、森林、水和土地本身。土地的报酬是地租。
Labour is the human effort, both physical and mental, used in production. The reward for labour is wages or salaries.
劳动是生产中使用的体力和脑力人力努力。劳动的报酬是工资或薪金。
Capital consists of man-made goods used to produce other goods and services, like machinery, tools and factories. The reward for capital is interest.
资本包括用于生产其他商品和服务的人造物品，如机器、工具和工厂。资本的报酬是利息。
Enterprise is the willingness and ability to take risks and combine the other factors to produce goods and services. The reward for enterprise is profit.
企业家才能是承担风险并组合其他要素生产商品和服务的意愿和能力。企业家才能的报酬是利润。
3. Opportunity Cost and Production Possibility Frontier | 机会成本与生产可能性边界
Opportunity cost is the value of the best alternative forgone when a choice is made. It is not just money spent but the missed benefit of the next best option.
机会成本是做出选择时放弃的次佳选项的价值。它不仅是花费的金钱，还包括错过次佳选项的收益。
The production possibility frontier (PPF) shows the maximum combinations of two goods an economy can produce with given resources and technology. Points on the curve represent efficient use of resources, while points inside indicate inefficiency or unemployment.
生产可能性边界 (PPF) 显示一个经济体在给定资源和技术下能够生产的两种商品的最大组合。曲线上的点代表资源的有效利用，曲线内的点代表低效率或失业。
Moving along the PPF involves an opportunity cost – producing more of one good means giving up some quantity of the other. Economic growth can shift the PPF outward.
沿 PPF 移动涉及机会成本——生产更多的一种商品意味着放弃一定数量的另一种商品。经济增长可使 PPF 向外移动。
4. Economic Systems and Markets | 经济体制与市场
Societies must decide how to allocate scarce resources. There are three main types of economic systems: market economies, planned economies and mixed economies.
社会必须决定如何分配稀缺资源。主要有三种类型的经济体制：市场经济体制、计划经济体制和混合经济体制。
In a market economy, decisions are made by individuals and firms based on price signals. The forces of supply and demand determine resource allocation. The UK has a mixed economy, with both market mechanisms and government intervention.
在市场经济中，决策由个人和企业根据价格信号做出。供需力量决定资源配置。英国是混合经济，既有市场机制也有政府干预。
Markets are places (physical or virtual) where buyers and sellers exchange goods and services. The price mechanism allocates resources effectively when markets work well.
市场是买卖双方交换商品和服务的场所（物理或虚拟）。当市场运作良好时，价格机制有效配置资源。
5. Demand | 需求
Demand is the quantity of a good or service that consumers are willing and able to buy at different prices over a given time period. The law of demand states that as price falls, quantity demanded rises, ceteris paribus.
需求是在一定时期内，消费者在不同价格下愿意并能够购买的商品或服务的数量。需求定律指出，在其他条件不变的情况下，价格下降时需求量上升。
A demand curve slopes downward from left to right. A change in price causes a movement along the demand curve (contraction or extension). A change in non-price factors, such as income, tastes, prices of related goods, expectations and number of buyers, shifts the entire demand curve.
需求曲线从左到右向下倾斜。价格变动导致沿需求曲线的移动（收缩或扩张）。非价格因素的变化，如收入、偏好、相关商品价格、预期和购买者数量，会使整条需求曲线移动。
Substitutes are goods that can replace each other (e.g. tea and coffee), while complements are goods often used together (e.g. printers and ink cartridges).
替代品是可以相互替代的商品（如茶和咖啡），而互补品是经常一起使用的商品（如打印机和墨盒）。
6. Supply | 供给
Supply is the quantity of a good or service that producers are willing and able to sell at different prices over a given time period. The law of supply states that as price rises, quantity supplied increases, ceteris paribus.
供给是在一定时期内，生产者在不同价格下愿意并能够出售的商品或服务的数量。供给定律指出，在其他条件不变的情况下，价格上升时供给量增加。
A supply curve slopes upward from left to right. A change in price causes a movement along the supply curve. Shifts in supply are caused by changes in costs of production, technology, taxes, subsidies, number of sellers and expectations.
供给曲线从左到右向上倾斜。价格变动导致沿供给曲线的移动。供给曲线的移动由生产成本、技术、税收、补贴、生产者数量和预期的变化引起。
For example, a fall in the cost of raw materials shifts the supply curve to the right, meaning more is supplied at each price.
例如，原材料成本下降使供给曲线向右移动，意味着在每个价格上供给量都增加。
7. Market Equilibrium and Price Mechanism | 市场均衡与价格机制
Market equilibrium occurs where the demand and supply curves intersect. At this price, quantity demanded equals quantity supplied, and there is no tendency for change.
市场均衡出现在需求曲线与供给曲线相交之处。在此价格下，需求量等于供给量，没有变化的趋势。
If the price is set above equilibrium, excess supply (surplus) exists, putting downward pressure on price. If the price is below equilibrium, excess demand (shortage) occurs, pushing price upward.
如果价格定在均衡水平之上，存在超额供给（盈余），对价格形成下行压力。如果价格低于均衡水平，出现超额需求（短缺），推动价格上升。
The price mechanism – the interaction of supply and demand – performs the functions of signalling, incentivising and rationing scarce resources in a market.
价格机制——供需的相互作用——在市场中发挥信号、激励和配给稀缺资源的功能。
8. Price Elasticity of Demand | 需求的价格弹性
s the responsiveness of quantity demanded to a change in price. It is calculated as: PED = % change in quantity demanded ÷ % change in price.
需求的价格弹性 (PED) 衡量需求量对价格变化的反应程度。其计算公式为：PED = 需求量变动百分比 ÷ 价格变动百分比。
If PED > 1, demand is elastic – consumers are sensitive to price changes. If PED < 1, demand is inelastic – uantity demanded changes little when price changes. If PED = 1, demand is unitary elastic.
如果 PED > 1，需求富有弹性——消费者对价格变化敏感。如果 PED < 1，需求缺乏弹性——价格变化时需求量变化很小。如果 PED = 1，需求为单位弹性。
Determinants of PED include the availability of substitutes, whether the good is a necessity or luxury, proportion of income spent, and time period. Knowledge of PED helps firms set prices to maximise total revenue.
PED的决定因素包括替代品的可获得性、商品是必需品还是奢侈品、支出在收入中所占比例以及时间长短。了解 PED 有助于企业定价以实现总收入最大化。
9. Price Elasticity of Supply | 供给的价格弹性
supply (PES) measures the responsiveness of quantity supplied to a change in price. PES = % change in quantity supplied ÷ % change in price.
供给的价格弹性 (PES) 衡量供给量对价格变化的反应程度。PES = 供给量变动百分比 ÷ 价格变动百分比。
Supply is elastic if PES > 1, inelastic if PES < 1. The main determinants are the time period, availability of spare capacity, ease of storage and mobility of factors of production.
如果 PES > 1，供给富有弹性；如果 PES < 1，供给缺乏弹性。主要决定因素是时间周期、剩余生产能力、储存难易程度和生产要素的流动性。
In the short run, supply is often inelastic because firms cannot quickly change output. Over time, as firms can adjust all inputs, supply becomes more elastic.
在短期内，供给通常缺乏弹性，因为企业无法快速改变产量。随着时间的推移，企业可以调整所有投入，供给变得更具弹性。
10. Market Failure and Externalities | 市场失灵与外部性
Market failure occurs when the price mechanism leads to an inefficient allocation of resources. Common causes include externalities, public goods, information gaps and market power.
市场失灵发生在价格机制导致资源配置无效率时。常见原因包括外部性、公共物品、信息缺口和市场势力。
An externality is a cost or benefit that affects a third party not directly involved in the transaction. Negative externalities (e.g. pollution) impose external costs; positive externalities (e.g. education) create external benefits.
外部性是影响未直接参与交易的第三方的成本或收益。负外部性（如污染）带来外部成本；正外部性（如教育）创造外部收益。
When negative externalities exist, the social cost exceeds the private cost, leading to overproduction. The government can intervene through taxes, regulations or tradable permits to correct this.
当存在负外部性时，社会成本超过私人成本，导致生产过度。政府可以通过税收、法规或可交易许可证进行干预以纠正。
Public goods are non-excludable and non-rivalrous (e.g. street lighting). Because it is difficult to charge users, free markets under-provide them, so the government often provides public goods.
公共物品具有非排他性和非竞争性（如路灯）。由于难以向使用者收费，自由市场提供不足，因此政府通常提供公共物品。
11. The Labour Market and Wage Determination | 劳动力市场与工资决定
The labour market functions like any market: demand for labour comes from employers, and supply of labour comes from workers. The price of labour is the wage rate.
劳动力市场的运作与其他市场相似：劳动力需求来自雇主，劳动力供给来自工人。劳动力的价格是工资率。
Demand for labour is derived demand – it depends on the demand for the goods and services that labour produces. Factors affecting labour demand include productivity, wage costs and the state of the economy.
劳动力需求是一种派生需求——它取决于对劳动生产的商品和服务的需求。影响劳动力需求的因素包括生产率、工资成本和经济状况。
Supply of labour is influenced by the size of the working population, migration, education and training, and non-wage factors such as working conditions and job satisfaction.
劳动力供给受适龄劳动人口规模、移民、教育和培训以及工作条件和工作满意度等非工资因素的影响。
Equilibrium wage is set where labour demand equals labour supply. Differences in wages between professions can be explained by skill levels, bargaining power of trade unions, and market imperfections.
均衡工资确定于劳动力需求等于劳动力供给之处。不同职业间的工资差异可由技能水平、工会的议价能力和市场不完善等因素解释。
Published by TutorHao | Economics Revision Series | aleveler.com
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