Answer:
C) amount a consumer is willing to pay minus the amount the consumer actually pays.
Explanation:
Consumer surplus is a situation in which a consumer is willing to pay more for a product but he/she actually pays less that is he pays a lesser price compared to what he is willing to pay.
For example, a consumer is willing to pay $5 for a magazine but when he got to the mall, the price of the magazine is $4. The consumer surplus will be price he is willing to pay minus the price he bought it.
Consumer surplus= $5-$4
=$1
Consumer surplus is the difference between between the willing price of a consumer and the actual price paid(lesser than the willing price). It is a benefit to the consumer because they pay less than what is expected at the same value of satisfaction.
Consumer surplus is represented on a supply and demand curve by the area between the equilibrium price and the demand curve.