Demand, Supply and Equilibrium Flashcards
Demand
The willingness and the ability to purchase a particular good at a given price and time, ceteris paribus.
The Law of Demand
- Price increase, quantity demanded decrease
- Price decrease, quantity demanded increase
Non-price Determinants for Shifts in Demand Curve
PEPSIC
Preference
Expectations
Population
Substitutes
Income
Complementary
Assumptions of the Law of Demand (HL)
- The income effect
- The substitution effect
- The law of diminishing marginal utility
Income Effect (HL)
- When the price of a product decreases, people’s real income effectively increases, allowing them to buy more of the product
- Conversely, if the price of a product rises, people’s real disposable income decreases, leading to a reduced quantity demanded
Substitution Effect (HL)
When the price of a product falls, it becomes more attractive compared to products with unchanged prices, leading consumers to buy more of the cheaper product and substitute it for more expensive ones
The law of diminishing marginal utility (HL)
As consumption increases, the additional satisfaction from each unit decreases, so consumers buy more only at lower prices. Eventually, marginal utility reaches zero, and they stop wanting more
Supply
The willingness and ability to produce a particular good at a given price and time, ceteris paribus.
The Law of Supply
Price increase, quantity supplied increase
Price decrease, quantity supplied decrease
Shifts in the Supply Curve (non-price determinants)
- Input costs
- Price of other goods the supplier could make (sometimes called a “supplier substitute”)
- Weather
- Technology
- Expectations
- Government intervention
Indirect tax/Expenditure
A tax on goods and services
Subsidy
A payment by the government to a producer per unit of output to increase the supply of a good or to lower production costs.
The law of diminishing marginal returns (HL)
After reaching an optimal production level, adding more of a production factor results in smaller output increases
Increasing marginal costs (HL)
Marginal cost is the increase in cost caused by producing one more unit of the good
Equilibrium
Is where the supply and demand intersect
Allocative efficiency
Resources are allocated into their best possible use (the most efficient way from society’s point of view)
Producer surplus
When producers sell a product at a price higher than they were willing to sell it for
HL ONLY - Rational consumer choice
Rational choice theory states that individuals make logical decisions to maximize their self-interest:
- consumers aim to maximize utility
- producers aim to maximize profit