The Key Difference Between Marginal Utility and Total Utility

Marginal Utility vs Total Utility
Feature	Marginal Utility	Total Utility
Definition	The additional satisfaction or benefit gained from consuming one more unit of a good or service.	The overall satisfaction or benefit obtained from consuming a certain quantity of a good or service.
Measurement	Change in total utility resulting from a one-unit increase in consumption.	Sum of utility derived from all units consumed.
Nature	Incremental and specific to the next unit consumed.	Cumulative and represents total satisfaction.
Behavior Over Time	Typically decreases as more units are consumed (law of diminishing marginal utility).	Generally increases as consumption increases but at a decreasing rate.
Purpose in Economics	Helps explain consumer choice and demand behavior.	Indicates the total satisfaction level of the consumer.
Graphical Representation	Slopes downward, showing decline in additional satisfaction per unit.	Slopes upward but flattens as consumption increases.
Example	The pleasure gained from eating the 3rd slice of pizza after already eating 2 slices.	The total pleasure from eating all 3 slices of pizza.
Relation to Consumer Decisions	Used to decide whether to consume additional units.	Reflects overall happiness from total consumption.