Exam 2 Flashcards
A measure of how responsive one variable is to a change in another variable
elasticity
All elasticities are
percentage changes
Elasticity general formula
Percent Change in Quantity / Percent Change in Price
Elasticity formula for Consumers (demand)
Percentage change in Quantity / Percentage change in Price
Calculated as the percentage change of quantity demanded divided by the percentage change in price
Price of Elasticity of Demand
Price of Elasticity of Demand formula
%△Qd = ((Q2 - Q1) / Q1) * 100 %△P = ((P2-P1)/P1) * 100
If the price decreases by 1% the quantity demanded will
increase by -2.5%
The price elasticity of demand will
always be negative
Elastic Demand
Ed > 1
Change in Qd > Change in Price
Inelastic demand
Ed < 1
Percent change in Qd < Percent change in Price
Perfect inelastic demand curve means
prices change will not cause demand changes at all
Unit Elastic Demand
Ed = 1
Total Revenue
Price * Quantity
In elastic regions of the demand curve
% change Quantity > % Change Price
>
If price goes up…..
quantity goes down
A way to tell the elasticity based on how the price and total revenue are changing
Total Revenue Test
elastic demand
If you increase the price..
total revenue will decrease
elastic demand
If you decrease the price..
total revenue will increase
In inelastic regions of the demand curve
Percent change in Quantity > Percent change in Price
inelastic demand
if you increase the price
total revenue will increase
if you decrease the price
total revenue will decrease
At unit-elasticity…
total revenue is maximized
Demand is more elastic when (2)
substitutes are available
proportion of income is larger
The more a good considered to be a luxury,
the more elastic the demand is
The more time one has to adjust,
the most elastic the demand curve becomes
a measure of the effect of a change in the price of one product on the quantity demanded of another
Cross-Price elasticity of Demand
Formula for Cross elasticity of Demand
(Percentage change in Quantity Demanded of Product X/(Percentage Change in Price of Product Y)
Cross-Price elasticity of demand measures responsiveness of
purchases of one good to change in the price of another good
___ goods if elasticity is positive
Substitute
___ goods if elasticity is negative
Complement
___ goods if elasticity is 0
Independent
A measure of how responsive demand is to a change in consumer income
Income elasticity of Demand
Normal goods if elasticity is
positive
Inferior goods if elasticity is
negative
Elasticity of Supply formula
Es = (Percentage Change in Quantity Supplied of Product X)/(Percentage Change in Price of Product X)
Primary determinant of elasticity of supply
Time
No time to adjust
Immediate market period
Some time to adjust
Short run
Enough time to adjust
Long run (Most elastic)
Elasticity formula
% Change Quantity / % Change in Price
The satisfaction or happiness received from the consumption of goods and services
Utility
Why do people make the choices they do?
Decision making
To maximize utility