Supply and Demand Flashcards
Producer
- Making a product/service for sale to a consumer
– incentive to produce is to maximize profits.
Consumer
- Someone who purchases a good or service.
- Consumers have incentive to economize by getting as much as they can for the money they
spend (we want to save)
Movement vs. shift:
- Movement is changing a point on the curve.
- Shift is a new curve moving either right or left of the original
Law of Supply
as price goes up, so does production (see supply curve) because the producer has an incentive to produce more – more profit!
An upward sloping supply curve proves the law of supply. At higher prices, more is supplied.
Law of Demand
as price goes up, demand goes down (see demand curve) because consumers have an
incentive to buy more when it is on sell, lower price. We have less of an incentive to buy when items are
full price because we have to pay more money.
Substitution effect
we substitute products to save money (we buy the cheaper similar
item)
Law of Diminishing marginal utility
as we consume more, each additional unit becomes
less useful. So, producers usually must provide us with incentives to buy more (ex. Buy one,
get one free)
Income effect
the change in prices effect our purchasing power (how much we must spend in the market) and that will affect our demand
A downward sloping demand curve shows the law of demand. Demand increases as price decreases,
vice versa.
A downward sloping demand curve shows the law of demand. Demand increases as price decreases, vice versa.
Reasons for changes in demand (or Determinants of supply and demand) in curves
All of the shifters
listed below can increase (shift right) or decrease (shift left) demand.
Determinants of demand
TIME
- T – Taste – our preferences
- I – Income – how much money we make influences to buy or not to buy.
- M – Market size – influences to consumer to buy (ex. Announcements, advertisements,
producers trying to differentiate) - E – expectations – what consumers foresee in the future
The supply determinants are:
each can cause a shift
4
- Cost of resources – the input/factors of production used to make the good or service.
- Government
a. Subsidy – government payments
i. Increased payments = more supply
ii. Less payments = less supply
b. Taxes – payments to the government
i. Increased taxes = less supply
ii. Decreased taxes = more supply
c. Regulations – Government rules
i. Increased rules = less supply
ii. Decreased rules (deregulation)= more supply - Technology – machines used in production
a. New machines = more supply
b. Broken/old machines = less supply - producer expectations
Market Equilibrium
occurs when the quantity supplied and the quantity demanded are both equal at
the same price and quantity (see supply and demand curve). Also called equilibrium point and market
clearing price
Surplus
exists when the quantity supplied exceeds the quantity demanded at the price offered.
Shortage
exists when the quantity demanded exceeds the quantity supplied at the price offered. The
government can ration during a shortage of national importance (ex. During war)