1.2 how markets work Flashcards
what is diminishing marginal utility?
diminishing marginal utility is based on the idea that consumers gain satisfaction or utility for goods they consume
what is total utility?
total utility represents total satisfaction gained from total amount of product consumed
what is marginal utility?
marginal utility represents the change in utility from consuming additional unit of product
what is the law of diminishing marginal utility?
as a person consumers more and more of a product, the marginal utility falls, consequently people prepared to pay less as consumption increases, resulting in a inverse relationship between price and quantity demanded.
what is price determination?
equilibrium price and quantity is determined by interaction of supply and demand.
what is equilibrium?
equilibrium is where quantity supplied is equal to quantity demanded
when would equilibrium change?
equilibrium will not change unless conditions of supply or demand will change.
what does excess supply mean?
excess supply implies quantity supplied is greater than quantity demanded at existing price
what does excess demand mean?
excess demand implies that quantity demanded is greater than quantity supplied at existing price
what does price elasticity of demand measure?
price elasticity of demand measures responsiveness of quantity demanded of a product to a change in price
when should price elasticity of demand be considered?
PED needs to be considered when considering the impact of tax or subsidy/ consumer/ producer surplus
how is PED measured?
percentage change in quantity demanded/ percentage change in price
values of PED:
> 1 = demand is price elastic
<1 = demand is price inelastic
0 = demand perfectly price inelastic
infinity = demand is perfectly price elastic
1 = demand is unit price elastic
(always negative value, price and quantity move in opposite directions)
what factors influence PED?
availability of substitutes, proportion of income spent on product, nature of product, durability of product, length of time under consideration, breadth of definition of product
how does availability of substitutes factor PED?
substitutes available means that a strong incentive to shift consumption to them when price rises
how does durability of products factor PED?
long-lasting and hardwearing, possible to postpone purchases, non durable must be replaced regularly
how does length of time under consideration factor PED?
it takes time for consumers to adjust expenditure patterns following a price change
what is the significance of PED for firms?
-if they know demand for product is price inelastic, they can increase total revenue by increasing price
-if they know demand is price elastic they can increase total revenue by reducing price
what is the significance of PED to consumers
if demand is price inelastic, firms may raise prices but would reduce real incomes of consumers
what is the significance of PED to the government?
if the government wishes to maximise tax revenue, it will place indirect taxes on those whose products are demand price inelastic, but the consumer will bear most of the burden
- governments may also tax products and services whose demand is price elastic, producers bear higher proportion of tax burden, potentially making business unprofitable
what is the relationship between PED and total revenue when demand is price elastic
price change causes total revenue to change in the same direction
what is the relationship between PED and total revenue when demand is elastic
prices change causes total revenue to change in the opposite direction
what is the relationship between PED and total revenue when demand is unit elastic
price change causes total revenue to remain unchanged
what is the relationship between PED and total revenue when perfectly inelastic
price change causes total revenue to change in same direction by the same proportion
what is the relationship between PED and total revenue when demand is perfectly inelastic
price rise causes total revenue to fall to zero
what does demand refer to?
demand refers to the amount demanded by consumers at given prices over a certain period of time, demand must include ability to pay for the product or service
why is the demand curve downward sloping?
demand curve is downward sloping as when the price falls
what causes an extension in demand?
fall in price will cause an increase in demand, which is an extension of demand
what causes a contraction in demand?
a rise in price will cause a decrease in quantity demanded
what are the shifts in demand?
an increase shifts right, a decrease shifts left
what causes a shift in demand right?
real income, size age distribution of population, tastes fashions or preference (depending), prices of substitutions or complements (depending), amount of advertising or promotions, interest rates can affect the cost of borrowing money
what causes a shift in demand left?
tastes fashions or preference (depending), price of substitutes or complements (depending)
what two significant assumptions are made in rational decision making?
-consumers act rationally by aiming to maximise their utility
-firms act rationally by aiming to maximise profits
alternate views of consumer behaviour
behavioural economics applies psychological insights to economic decision making