AS Unit 2: The Price System and the Microeconomy Flashcards
The price mechanism and markets
The price mechanism is essential to the allocation of resources. It sends a signal from consumers to producers. It does not require any government involvement. The market is the process through which similar products are bought and sold
Demand
The quantity of a product that buyers are willing and able to buy at different prices per period of time, ceteris paribus
“able” = effective demand
“willing to buy” = notional demand
The demand curve
Based on the overall market demand
Changes in price cause a change in quantity demanded shown hy movements up and down the demand curve
Features of a demand curve
Linear relationship
Continuous relationship
Time-based relationship
Ceteris paribus
Factors affecting demand
Income
Related products
Fashion, tastes and attitudes
Supply
The quantity of a product that suppliers are willing and able to sell at different prices over a period of time, ceteris paribus
The supply curve
A positive relationship means that:
- When price rises, QS rises
- When price decreases, QS decreases
Changes in price cause movement up and down the supply curve
Features of a supply curve
Casual relationship
Linear relationship
Continuous relationship
Time-based relationship
Factors affecting supply
Costs of production
Size of industry
Price of other products (substitutes and complements)
Government policies
Weather, natural disasters, war, supply chain issues etc
Causes of a shift to the right of the demand curve
Increase in income
Increase in price of substitutes
Decrease in price of complements
Favourable change in fashion, tastes or attitudes
Causes of a shift to the left of the demand curve
Decrease in income
Decrease in price of substitutes
Increase in price of complements
Unfavourable change in fashion, tastes or attitudes
Causes of a shift to the right of the supply curve
Decrease in costs of production
Growth of industry
Decrease in price of competitors
Decrease in indirect tax
Increase in subsidies
Causes of a shift to the left of the supply curve
Increase in costs of production
Decline in size of industry
Increase in price of competitors
Increase in indirect tax
Fall in subsidy
Price elasticity of demand
Measures the responsiveness of the quantity demanded for a product following a change in the price of the product, ceteris paribus
If demand is elastic, a small change in price will result in a larger change in QD
If demand is price inelastic a large change in price will result in a smaller change in QD
PED formula
Percentage change in quantity demanded/ percentage change in price
Perfectly inelastic demand
Occurs if regardless of price, consumers are willing and able to buy the same amount. PED = 0
Unit elastic demand
Occurs if the increase in price is exactly the same as the change in quantity demanded. PED = 1
Perfectly elastic demand
Occurs if the relative change in quantity demanded is infinite. PED = infinity
Factors affecting PED
Availability and attractiveness of substitutes (information, necessities, luxuries, addictive products, brand image)
Relative expense
Time
Income elasticity of demand definition
Measures the responsiveness of the quantity demanded following a change in income
Income elasticity of income formula
Percentage change in quantity demanded/Percentage change in income
Classification of goods relating to income
A normal goods demand increases as income increases (YED = 0-1)
An inferior goods demand decreases as income increases (YED is negative)
A necessities demand is unlikely to change as income changes (YED = near 0)
A luxury good has a YED>1 and is normal
Cross elasticity of demand
Measures the responsiveness of the quantity demanded for one product following a change in the price of another, ceteris paribus
Is elastic when quantity demanded for one responds more than proportionately to a change in the price of another