Questions: Suppose you and your roommate have the following agreement when it comes to cleaning your apartment: each pers washes her or his own dishes after each meal. The principle of trade you just learned tells you that it would be more efficient if: a) both of you wash your own dishes after each meal. b) neither of you wash the dishes after eating. c) each of you wash half of all the dirty dishes. d) one of you wash all the dishes while the other does a different chore.

The answer is D: one of you wash all the dishes while the other does a different chore.

Explanation:

a) Both of you wash your own dishes after each meal: This option does not take advantage of the principle of trade, which suggests that specialization can lead to greater efficiency. By each person washing only their own dishes, there is no specialization or division of labor.

b) Neither of you wash the dishes after eating: This option is impractical and inefficient as it would lead to a buildup of dirty dishes, which would eventually need to be cleaned, likely resulting in more effort and time spent later.

c) Each of you wash half of all the dirty dishes: This option does not utilize the principle of trade effectively. While it shares the workload, it does not allow for specialization, which could lead to greater efficiency.

d) One of you wash all the dishes while the other does a different chore: This option aligns with the principle of trade, which suggests that efficiency can be increased when individuals specialize in tasks they are relatively better at or when tasks are divided in a way that maximizes productivity. By having one person focus on washing dishes and the other on a different chore, both individuals can potentially complete their tasks more efficiently, especially if one person is faster or more skilled at a particular task.