1.3 Price determination in a competitive market Flashcards
Law of demand
As price increases, quantity demanded decreases. As price decreases, quantity demanded increases.
Market
anywhere where buyers and sellers come together, a price is agreed and a transaction takes place
Price
that which is given up in an exchange to acquire a good or service
Demand
the quantity of a good or service that consumers are willing and able to buy at given prices in a given period of time
Consumer expenditure
the amount of money consumers spend on a given quantity of goods in a given period of time
Rationing function of prices
rising prices ration demand for a product
Consumer surplus
a measure of the economic welfare enjoyed by consumers; surplus utility received over and above the price paid for a good
Utility
the satisfaction or economic welfare an individual gains from consuming a good
Law of diminishing marginal utility
for a single consumer, the marginal utility derived from a good diminishes for each additional unit consumed
Normal good
when the demand for a good increases as incomes rises and demand decreases as income fall
Inferior good
when the demand for a good decreases as income rises and demand increases as income falls
Complementary good
a good which is in joint demand, or which is demanded at the same time as the other good
Substitute good
a good in competing demand, or which can be used in place of the other good
Direct tax
a tax which cannot be shifted by the person legally liable to pay the tax onto someone else. They are normally levied on income and wealth
Causes of changes in demand (7)
- change in price or related goods
- changes in incomes
- Fashions, Tastes and preferences
- Advertising and branding
- Demographic change
- External shocks
- Seasonal factors
Describe an increase in demand
a rightward shift of the demand curve
Describe a decrease in demand
a leftward shift of the demand curve
Describe an extension in demand
the increase in quantity demanded due to a fall in price
Describe a contraction in demand
the fall in the quantity demanded due to a rise in price
Total revenue
the total amount of money a firm receives by selling goods or services
Total revenue formula
Price x Quantity
Marginal revenue
the change in total revenue generated by an additional unit of output
Marginal revenue formula
change in total revenue / change in quantity
Price elasticity of demand (PED)
measures the extent to which the demand for a good changes in response to a change in the price of that good
PED formula
% change in quantity demanded / % change in price
Perfectly price inelastic
The quantity demanded does not change in response to price changes; PED = 0
Perfectly price elastic
Buyers are prepared to buy any amount at a given price, but demand falls to zero if the price rises; PED = - ∞
Describe an inelastic PED
PED < 1