Chapter 4 Flashcards
Total expenditure (“function”)
TE = TR = P*Q
Price sensitivity
Elasticities
Price elasticity of demand
The percentage change in the quantity demanded that results from a on percent change in price
Highly responsive to price change
Elastic
Highly unresponsive to price change
Inelastic
When is the demand for a good elastic?
The demand for a good is said to be elastic, with respect to price if its price elasticity is more than 1
When is the demand for a good inelastic?
The demand for a good is said to be inelastic, with respect to price if its price elasticity is less than 1
When is demand unit elastic?
demand is unit elastic with respect to price if its price elasticity is equal to 1
Formula price elasticity
Percentage change in Q / percentage change in P
(TQ/Q)/(TP/P)
Slope for the straight line equation
TQ/TP
P=a-bQ -> b = TQ/TP
Formula elasticity and slope
P/Q * 1/ Slope
Two polar cases
Two extreme cases of elasticity
- Perfectly elastic demand (E=infinity)
- Perfectly inelastic demand (E=0)
The price elasticity of supply
The percentage change in quantity supplied that occurs in response to a one percent change in price
Formula for price elasticity of supply
E = P/Q *1 / Slope
Same as demand
Can price elasticity of demand be positive/negative?
Price and quantity are always positive, as is the slope of the typical supply curve, which implies that price elasticity of supply will be a positive number at every point