What does marginal utility refer to?

Marginal utility refers to the additional satisfaction or benefit that a consumer derives from consuming one more unit of a good or service. This concept is central to understanding consumer behavior and choices in economics. It highlights how individuals evaluate the extra utility received from incremental consumption, which influences their purchasing decisions.

As consumers increase their consumption of a product, the marginal utility often decreases due to the law of diminishing marginal utility. This means that while the first few units of a good might provide significant satisfaction, each subsequent unit may yield less additional satisfaction than the previous one. Therefore, understanding marginal utility is crucial for analyzing how consumers allocate their resources to maximize their overall satisfaction.

In contrast, the other options reference different economic concepts that do not relate directly to the definition of marginal utility. For example, concepts like price increases due to scarcity or benefits of investing in capital do not capture the essence of additional satisfaction derived from consuming more goods or services.