Market Equilibrium and Price Elasticity Flashcards
What is a price mechanism?
Is the process by which the forces of supply and demand interact to determine the market price at which goods and services are sold and the quantity produced.
What is the market equilibrium?
Certain price level the quantity supplied and the quantity demanded of a particular commodity are equal
What is equilibrium?
Is achieved in an individual market when any consumer who is willing to pay the market price for a good or service is satisfied and any producer who offers their goods or services at the market price is able to sell their products. It occurs in the quantity demanded is equal to the quantity supplied that is when the market clears.
When does market equilibrium occur?
- Quantity demanded = quantity supplied
- The market clears
- There is no tendency to change
What happens when the quantity supplied exceeds the quantity demanded?
The sellers will offer to sell at a lower price they’ll be an expansion in demand and a contraction in supply
What happens when the quantity demanded exceeds the quantity supplied?
The consumers will start bidding of the price and there will be an expansion in supply and a contraction in demand.
What causes a change in equilibrium?
A shift in demand or supply
Price elasticity of demand
Measures the responsiveness of the quantity demanded to change in price.
% change in QD (divided) by % change in price
Elastic Demand
Strong response to change in price
Unit elastic demand
Amount spent by consumers stays constant
Inelastic demand
Weak response to price change
Price elasticity of demand effect on business
- decide on the optimal pricing strategy
- whether or not the change the price
Price elasticity of demand effect on government
- Pricing goods/services for the community
- predict the effects of changes in any indirect taxes
- accurately estimate the amount of revenue
Outlay method and equation
Price up = Revenue up = inelastic
Price up = Revenue down = elastic
Price up = Revenue same = unit elastic
Price (x) demand
Perfectly Elastic Demand
Horizontal straight line
Consumers will demand infinite quantities at the same price
Perfectly inelastic Demand
Vertical straight line
Consumers are willing to pay any price in order to obtain a given quantity of a good or service.
Price Elasticity of Supply
Measures the responsiveness of quantity supplied to a change in price.
% change in QS (divided) by % change in price