Elasticity Flashcards
Elasticity
Measures how sensitive Q demanded is to a change in price
Inelastic Demand (not-sensitive)
When price rises, the quantity demanded barely changes
Why is inelastic demand insensitive?
Products with inelastic demand have few substitutes and are necessities
Elasticity Demand Coefficient
% change Q / % change P
Inelastic Demand Coefficient
n < - 1
Elastic Demand (sensitive)
When price rises, quantity demanded changes by a lot
Why is elastic demand sensitive?
Products with elastic demand have many substitutes and are luxuries
Elastic Demand Coefficient
n > -1
Perfectly Inelastic
Change in price has no effect on quantity; n =0; Chemo, medication, insulin
Perfectly Elastic
Producers can’t change price because on one will buy the product
What is the problem with just looking at the slope to determine elasticity?
The unit problem; All depends on starting point and units of measure
Inelastic Demand: When price rises (falls)
Revenue rises (falls); P and TR move in same direction
Elastic Demand: When price rises (falls)
Revenue falls (rises); P and TR move in different directions
Determinants of Elasticity
Substitues; Passage of Time; Definition of Market; Significance in budget
Availability of Substitutes
When something is available, it is elastic because it is easy to replace
Passage of Time
Finding fuel in the winter vs. summer
Market
Easy to give up brand of cigarette compared to giving up cigarettes entirely
Significance in Budget
When gum becomes more expensive we barely notice
More narrow market is more sensitive because
There are more substitutes
Cross-Price Elasticity (Cars and Floor Mats)
Shows how sensitive the quantity in one product is to the change in price of another; Substitutes or complements
A positive cross-price elasticity means that the products are
Substitutes
A negative cross-price elasticity means that the products are
Complements
Income Elasticity (Apple and iPads)
Shows how sensitive the quantity of a product is to change in income
A positive income elasticity means that the product is
Normal Good; Income goes up, people buy more