Microeconomics Flashcards
Equilibrium equation
Qd=Qs
What is comparative statics used for?
Comparative statics is used to analyse the effects of particular events on the market equilibrium.
PED Formula
PED = (% Change in Quantity Demanded)/(% Change in Price)
%Change = New-Old/Old
How do you calculate %Change?
New-Old/Old
What is a giffen good?
Giffen good is a product that people consume more of as the price rises and vice versa.
Factors affecting PED?
–Proportion of income devoted to the good.
–Availability of close substitutes.
–Definition of the market (shoes versus Adidas shoes).
–Time horizon. Most goods are more price elastic in the long run. However, for certain types of goods known as durable goods, the reverse is true. Why?
–Necessities versus luxuries.
Factors affecting PES?
–The time horizon. –Productive capability of the firm. –Size of the firm/industry. –Mobility of factors of production. –Ease of storing stock.
PES/PED are elastic when?
Value = >1
PES/PED are inelastic when?
Value = <1
Price tends to be more volatile when the elasticity is?
If a product has a very inelastic supply or demand, its price will tend to be more volatile.
How do you calculate PES?
PES = (% Change in Quantity Supplied)/(% Change in Price)
%Change = New-Old/Old
How do you calculate XED?
XED = (% Change in Qd of good B)/(% Change in Price of good A)
If XED is positive, the goods are?
Substitutes
If XED is negative, the goods are?
Complements
How do you calculate YED?
YED = (% Change in Quantity Demanded)/(% Change in Income)
If YED is positive, the good is?
Normal
If YED is negative, the good is?
Inferior
What is utility measured on?
An ordinal scale. E.g. –“I prefer Xbox over PlayStation”. All it cares about is the order.
What is the difference between an ordinal scale and a cardinal scale?
A cardinal scale is concerned with the magnitude as well as order. E.g. I prefer Xbox 10 times more over PlayStation.
How do you calculate the price ratio?
It is the price of the good on the horizontal axis divided by the price of the good on the vertical axis
How is the Marginal Rate of Substitution calculated?
How many A you’re giving up/How many B you’re getting.
MRS = MuA/MuB
Define Axiom of Comparison
Axiom of Comparison: The consumer is able to compare any two bundles. The consumer can state that A is preferred to B, B is preferred to A, or that they are indifferent between the two.
Define Axiom of Transitivity
Axiom of Transitivity: If Bundle A is preferred to Bundle B and Bundle B is preferred to Bundle C, the Bundle A must be preferred to Bundle C.
The slope of the budget constraint is given by the…?
Price Ratio
The slope of the indifference curve is given by the…?
The Marginal Rate of Substitution.
The optimal consumption
bundle (the bundle which maximises utility) occurs at…?
the highest indifference curve that is affordable.
At the point where the two curves are “barely kissing,” the slope of the
indifference curve and the slope of the budget constraint are exactly the
same. This is called…?
The point of tangency
What is the income expansion path?
The income expansion path
summarises how a rational consumer responds to
income changes. The income expansion path is a curve which connects all optimal bundles for different levels of income.
If both goods are normal, the income expansion path is sloping…?
If both goods are normal, the income expansion path is upward sloping.
If one good is inferior and the other is normal, the income expansion path is sloping…?
Downwards.
Engel curves for normal goods slope ______ – the flatter the slope the more ________ the good, and the greater the ______ ______. In contrast, Engel curves for inferior goods have a _______ slope.
Engel curves for normal goods slope upwards – the flatter the slope the more luxurious the good, and the greater the income elasticity. In contrast, Engel curves for inferior goods have a negative slope.
What does the Engel curve show?
The Engel curve shows the
relationship between the quantity of a good consumed and income.
The price consumption curve shows…?
the price consumption curve is a curve which shows the optimal bundles as the price of one good changes.
In the case of normal goods, the income and substitution effect work in…?
The same direction
In the case of inferior goods, the income and substitution effect work in,,,?
Opposite directions
Define the substitution effect.
The substitution effect is the economic understanding that as prices rise — or income decreases — consumers will replace more expensive items with less costly alternatives.
Define the Income effect
As the income of an individual increases, the lower-priced or inferior commodities are eschewed for more expensive, higher-quality goods and services
When combining the two effects (I + S) after a price decrease, good A consumption will…?
Unambiguously increase if good A is a normal good and Not clear what will happen if it’s an inferior good.