In a perfectly competitive market, the actual and potential buyers share which of the following characteristics?

• A. They face significant barriers to entry and exit.
• B. They have perfect information about prices and products.
• C. They prefer differentiated products over homogeneous ones.
• D. They can influence the market price through their individual purchases.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the characteristics of buyers in a perfectly competitive market. In such markets, buyers and sellers are price takers, meaning they cannot influence the market price individually.
2. Recall that one key assumption of perfect competition is that all participants have perfect information about prices and products, ensuring no one has an advantage in decision-making.
3. Recognize that in perfect competition, products are homogeneous (identical), so buyers do not prefer differentiated products; this eliminates product preference as a distinguishing characteristic.
4. Note that there are no significant barriers to entry or exit in a perfectly competitive market, allowing buyers and sellers to freely enter or leave the market.
5. Conclude that the shared characteristic of actual and potential buyers in a perfectly competitive market is that they have perfect information about prices and products.