KEY QUESTION Assume that the following data characterize a hypothetical economy: money supply  $200 billion;

quantity of money demanded for transactions  $150 billion;

quantity of money demanded as an asset  $10 billion at 12 percent interest, increasing by $10 billion for each 2-percentage-point fall in the interest rate.

a. What is the equilibrium interest rate? Explain.

b. At the equilibrium interest rate, what are the quantity of money supplied, the total quantity of money demanded, the amount of money demanded for transactions, and the amount of money demanded as an asset?