Building Blocks in Economics — Class 9 MCQs with Answers
Class 9 CBSE Social Science · Chapter 8
74 practice questions · 24 Easy · 25 Medium · 25 Hard · Updated
Practise the most important Class 9 CBSE Social Science questions from Chapter 8, "Building Blocks in Economics". You get 9 timed quizzes made from 74 NCERT-based MCQs, with answers and explanations. The questions are split into 24 Easy, 25 Medium and 25 Hard. Warm up on the basics, then move on to the exam-level questions that set top scorers in CBSE Board exams apart.
To score well in "Building Blocks in Economics", focus on dates, cause and effect, and reading maps and sources. Each MCQ here is timed and uses exam-style marking (+4 correct, −1 wrong, 0 skipped). This trains you to stay accurate under time pressure, as real papers need. Every question has a short explanation, so a wrong answer becomes a quick lesson. It is the fastest way to fix gaps before a test.
Use this chapter for focused revision. Start with the Easy set to check your basics on Building Blocks in Economics, then move to Medium and Hard to practise applying them. Your accuracy, streaks and XP save automatically. This chapter also adds to your overall Class 9 Social Science mastery score. 14 sample questions are solved in full below, with the answer and a worked explanation. Sign in free to start practising.
Key concepts: Building Blocks in Economics (Class 9 Social Science)
Economics begins with a simple fact: wants are unlimited but the means of satisfying them are scarce. This chapter builds from needs, wants and scarcity to choice and opportunity cost, then introduces economic activities and the four factors of production.
- Economics
- The study of how individuals and societies use limited resources to satisfy unlimited wants.
- Needs and wants
- Needs are essential for survival, such as food, clothing and shelter; wants are desires beyond that, and they are unlimited.
- Scarcity
- The central economic problem: resources are limited relative to the wants they must satisfy, which forces choices to be made.
- Choice
- Because resources are scarce, every individual and society must decide what to produce, how to produce it and for whom.
Building Blocks in Economics — important questions & MCQs with answers (Class 9 Social Science)
14 solved questions from this chapter's difficulty levels, each with its answer and explanation. The other 60 are timed and scored when you sign in.
- Q1Easy
Which of the following is a basic human NEED?
A.A smartphoneB.A video gameC.A diamond ringD.Food✓ CorrectAnswer: D. Food
Explanation: Food is a basic need essential for survival, while the others are wants that add comfort or pleasure but are not necessary for living.
- Q2Easy
Opportunity cost is the value of the ______ that is given up when a choice is made.
A.next-best alternative✓ CorrectB.chosen optionC.cheapest optionD.total money spentAnswer: A. next-best alternative
Explanation: Opportunity cost is the value of the next-best alternative that is foregone when one option is chosen over others.
- Q3Easy
Which of the following is NOT one of the four factors of production?
A.LandB.LabourC.Money✓ CorrectD.CapitalAnswer: C. Money
Explanation: The four factors of production are land, labour, capital and entrepreneur; money by itself is not a factor of production.
- Q4Easy
Activities done to earn money or a living are called:
A.non-economic activitiesB.economic activities✓ CorrectC.leisure activitiesD.social activitiesAnswer: B. economic activities
Explanation: Economic activities are undertaken to earn income or a livelihood, unlike non-economic activities done out of love or duty.
- Q5Easy
Economics is best described as the study of how people use ______ resources to satisfy their needs and wants.
A.limited✓ CorrectB.unlimitedC.freeD.imaginaryAnswer: A. limited
Explanation: Economics studies how individuals and societies use their limited (scarce) resources to satisfy needs and wants.
- Q6Easy
Why must people make choices in economics?
A.Because wants are limitedB.Because money has no valueC.Because resources are scarce✓ CorrectD.Because all goods are freeAnswer: C. Because resources are scarce
Explanation: Because resources are scarce and cannot satisfy all wants, people must choose how to use them.
- Q7Medium
A bottle of water is free at home but is sold for money at a railway station. This shows that whether a good is 'economic' or 'free' depends on its:
A.colour and shapeB.scarcity in that situation✓ CorrectC.brand nameD.weightAnswer: B. scarcity in that situation
Explanation: When a good becomes scarce relative to demand, it commands a price and becomes an economic good rather than a free good.
- Q8Medium
Meera has two hours free. She can either study Mathematics or play cricket. If she chooses to study, her opportunity cost is:
A.nothing, because studying is usefulB.the time spent studyingC.the marks she will gainD.the cricket game she gave up✓ CorrectAnswer: D. the cricket game she gave up
Explanation: Opportunity cost is the next-best alternative foregone, which here is the cricket game she chose not to play.
- Q9Medium
Match the factor of production with its reward: Labour, Capital, Entrepreneur. The correct rewards are:
A.Profit, Rent, WagesB.Rent, Wages, ProfitC.Interest, Profit, RentD.Wages, Interest, Profit✓ CorrectAnswer: D. Wages, Interest, Profit
Explanation: Labour earns wages, capital earns interest, and the entrepreneur earns profit.
- Q10Medium
A baker buys wheat flour, bakes bread and sells it in his shop. The baking of bread belongs to the secondary sector because it:
A.uses natural resources directlyB.earns no incomeC.changes raw material into a finished product✓ CorrectD.only provides a serviceAnswer: C. changes raw material into a finished product
Explanation: The secondary sector transforms raw materials into finished goods, as flour is turned into bread.
- Q11Medium
Assertion (A): Economic activities related to agriculture and handicrafts usually rely more on labour than on machinery. Reason (R): Capital-intensive production uses more workers and less machinery.
A.Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of AB.Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of AC.A is true but R is false✓ CorrectD.A is false but R is trueAnswer: C. A is true but R is false
Explanation: The chapter notes that agriculture and handicrafts usually rely more on labour, while industries such as steel and automobiles depend more on machinery, so the assertion is true. The reason reverses the terms: capital-intensive production uses more machines and technology and fewer workers, whereas labour-intensive production uses more workers and less machinery.
- Q12Hard
During a drought, a town that earlier treated water as a free good begins charging for it and rationing supply. The BEST economic explanation is that:
A.water is no longer a needB.water has lost all usefulnessC.increased scarcity has turned a free good into an economic good✓ CorrectD.wants have become limitedAnswer: C. increased scarcity has turned a free good into an economic good
Explanation: When a once-abundant good becomes scarce relative to demand, it acquires a price and is managed as an economic good.
- Q13Hard
Sita can earn 400 rupees by working for a day at a shop. Instead, she takes a free training class worth 150 rupees in market value but pays no fee. What is the opportunity cost of attending the class for that day?
A.150 rupees, the value of the classB.550 rupees, the class plus the wagesC.Zero, because the class was freeD.400 rupees, the wages she gave up✓ CorrectAnswer: D. 400 rupees, the wages she gave up
Explanation: Opportunity cost is the value of the best alternative foregone; by attending the class she gives up 400 rupees of wages.
- Q14Hard
Read the case: 'Using all her land, water and labour, a farmer can grow these combinations of rice and cotton (in quintals): P = 0 rice, 60 cotton; Q = 10 rice, 55 cotton; R = 20 rice, 45 cotton; S = 30 rice, 30 cotton; T = 40 rice, 0 cotton.' If she moves from R to S, what is the opportunity cost of the extra 10 quintals of rice?
A.10 quintals of cottonB.30 quintals of cottonC.45 quintals of cottonD.15 quintals of cotton✓ CorrectAnswer: D. 15 quintals of cotton
Explanation: Opportunity cost is the value of what is given up. Moving from R to S raises rice from 20 to 30 quintals but cuts cotton from 45 to 30, so the extra 10 quintals of rice cost 15 quintals of cotton. Each point on this production possibility curve is the maximum output from the available resources, so more of one crop means less of the other.
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Start this chapter free →Building Blocks in Economics — FAQs
What are the key concepts in Class 9 Social Science Building Blocks in Economics?+
Economics begins with a simple fact: wants are unlimited but the means of satisfying them are scarce. This chapter builds from needs, wants and scarcity to choice and opportunity cost, then introduces economic activities and the four factors of production. Key ideas include Economics, Needs and wants, Scarcity, Choice.
What does Class 9 Social Science Chapter 8 (Building Blocks in Economics) cover on XamBaaz?+
It has 74 NCERT-based MCQs on "Building Blocks in Economics": 24 Easy, 25 Medium and 25 Hard. Together they make 9 timed quizzes, and you never get the same set twice. Every question has an instant explanation. They help you prepare for CBSE Board exams.
Are these "Building Blocks in Economics" questions free to practise?+
Yes. Sign in with Google to practise "Building Blocks in Economics" free. Full unlimited access is ₹999/year on a launch offer until 1 December 2026. No chapter is charged separately.
How should I revise "Building Blocks in Economics" for the exam?+
Start with the Easy quiz to check your basics, then try Medium and Hard to practise applying them. There are 9 timed quizzes on this chapter, so you can come back for a fresh set instead of one you have seen. Read each explanation, retry the questions you miss, and track your accuracy until it stays high.
Are these "Building Blocks in Economics" MCQs available with answers?+
Yes. 14 sample questions are shown here in full, each with the correct option and a step-by-step "Why" explanation. Sign in free with Google to start practising, with instant scoring.
Is there negative marking in the "Building Blocks in Economics" quizzes?+
Yes. The timed quizzes use exam-style marking: +4 for a right answer, −1 for a wrong one and 0 for a skip. MHT-CET and CBSE board papers have no negative marking. Our mocks for those are scored their way.
What are the important questions from Building Blocks in Economics (Class 9 Social Science)?+
The questions that matter most test Economics, Needs and wants, Scarcity, Choice. This page shows 14 solved important MCQs with answers and explanations; all 74 questions on the chapter are available as timed quizzes once you sign in.
Is there an online quiz for Building Blocks in Economics?+
Yes — Class 9 Social Science Building Blocks in Economics has timed online quizzes at Easy, Medium and Hard levels, with instant scoring and a worked explanation on every question. The first quiz on the chapter is free.