Chapter 2 Flashcards
Learn basic concepts of Demand and Supply - Market equilibrium - comparative stats - elasticity
What four things does demand depend on?
Information, prices of other things, income and regualtions
Demand function
Q=D(p,pₛ, p꜀, Y)
- p is the price of the good
- pₛ is price of a substitute
- p꜀ is the price of a complementary good
- Y is consumer income
What is the law of demand?
As the price increases, quantity demanded decreases
Changes in other goods, income, regulations, etc on demand?
Causes a shift in the entire curve
What happens to supply as prices increase?
Supply increases
What 3 things does supply depend on?
- Production cost
- Regulations
- Technology
What is Adam Smith’s invisible hand?
The economy will move itself towards equilibrium, if prices are too low buyers can’t find enough sellers, and vice versa
What is elasticity of demand?
percentage change in demand for a 1% change in price
If p=0, what happens to elasticity of demand?
demand is perfectly inelastic; changes in price don’t effect demand
If Q=0, what happens to elasticity of demand?
demand is perfectly elastic, changes in price drop demand to zero
When is demand unitary elastic?
When ε=-1, the percentage change in demand is the same as the percentage change in price
When is demand elastic?
ε<-1, the percentage change in demand is more than the percentage change in price
When is demand inelastic?
ε>-1, the percentage change in demand is less than the percentage change in price
What happens to elasticity of demand when the curve is a horizontal line?
Demand is perfectly elastic: this happens when a good has a perfect substitute
What happens to elasticity of demand when the curve is a vertical line?
Demand is perfectly inelastic; telling us a good is essential
What is income elasticity?
Percentage change in demand for a 1% increase in income
What is cross-price elasticity?
Percentage change in demand for a 1% increase in the price of another good; relevant for substitutes and complements
When is supply perfectly inelastic?
η=0
When is supply inelastic?
0<η<1
When is supply elastic?
1<η
When is supply perfectly elastic?
η=infinity
How to predict elasticity over time?
the easier it is to substitute a good, the more elastic demand will be
What is an ad valorem tax?
It is a percentage if the sale price
What is a unit or specific tax?
A tax that doesn’t depend on sales price
What happens if consumer pays the tax?
Consumer pays the tax to the government and the price minus the tax to the supplier causing supply to shift left
What if the tax is being charged to suppliers?
Consumer pays price + tax, causing demand curve to shift down
2 reasons supply will not equal demand?
- price ceiling
- price floor