Unit 2: Supply and Demand Flashcards
Competitive market
Market in which there are many buyers and sellers of the same good or service, none of whom can influence the price at which the good or service is sold
Supply and demand model
Model of how a competitive market works
Demand schedule
Shows how much of a good or service consumers will be willing and able to buy at different prices
Quantity demanded
Actual amount of a good or service consumers are willing to buy at some specific price
Demand curve
Graphical representation of the demand schedule, showing the relationship between quantity demanded and price
Law of demand
States that higher price for a good of service, all other things being equal, leads people to demand a smaller quantity of that good or service
Change in demand
Shift of the demand curve, changing the quantity demanded at any given price
Movement along the demand curve
Change in the quantity demanded of a good that is the result of a good’s price change
Substitutes
Increase in price of one good results in the increased demand of the other
Complements
Increase in the price of one good results in a decreased demand for the other good
Normal good
Rise in income increases the demand for a good (normal case)
Inferior good
Rise in income decreases the demand for a good
Individual demand curve
Illustrates the relationship between the quantity demanded and price for an individual consumer
Quantity supplied
Actual amount of a good or service producers are willing to sell at some specific price
Supply schedule
Shows how much of a good or service producers will supply at different prices
Supply curve
Shows the relationship between quantity supplied and price
Law of supply
States that, other things being equal, the price and quantity supplied of a good are positively related
Change in supply
Shift of the supply curve, which changes the quantity supplied at any given price
Movement along the supply curve
Change in the quantity supplied of a good that is the result of a change in that good’s price
Input
Anything that is used to produce a good or service
Individual supply curve
Illustrates the relationship between quantity supplied and price for an individual producer
Equilibrium
Economic situation in which no individual would be better off doing something different
Equilibrium price (market-clearing price)
The price at which the quantity demanded of a good equals the quantity supplied of that good
Equilibrium quantity
Quantity of the good bought and sold at the equilibrium price
Surplus
Quantity supplied exceeds the quantity demanded (occurring when price is above the equilibrium level)
Shortage
Quantity demanded exceeds the quantity supplied (occurring when price is below its equilibrium level)
Price controls
Legal restriction on how high or low a market price may go (2 forms: price ceiling and price floor)