Which of the following best describes consumer surplus?

• A. The total amount paid by consumers for a good.
• B. The maximum price a seller is willing to accept for a good.
• C. The difference between the market price and the cost of production.
• D. The difference between what a consumer is willing to pay for a good and what the consumer actually pays.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that consumer surplus measures the benefit consumers receive when they pay less for a good than the maximum amount they are willing to pay.
2. Recognize that the maximum price a consumer is willing to pay represents their valuation or willingness to pay for the good.
3. Identify the market price as the actual price consumers pay to purchase the good.
4. Express consumer surplus mathematically as the difference between willingness to pay and the market price: \(\text{Consumer Surplus} = \text{Willingness to Pay} - \text{Market Price}\).
5. Conclude that consumer surplus is not the total amount paid, nor the seller's cost or price, but specifically the extra benefit consumers gain from paying less than their maximum willingness to pay.