WEEK 2|Micro-economic concepts: Flashcards
Utility: cardinal vs ordinal, indifference curves. Demand and supply curves, changes in demand and elasticity. production cost, cost curves. Make vs buy decisions, production quantity decisions
What is the principle assumption upon which the theory of consumer behaviour and demand is built upon?
“a consumer attempts to allocate his/her limited money income among available goods and services so as to maximize his/her utility (satisfaction).”
What is Utility?
Utility - amount of satisfaction derived from the consumption of a
commodity ….measurement units = utils
What is “The cardinal Utility Theory (TUC)”?
The Cardinal Utility Theory (TUC)
* Utility is measurable in a cardinal sense
* cardinal utility - assumes that we can assign values for utility.
E.g., derive 100 utils from eating a slice of bread
What is “The Ordinal Utility Theory (TUO)”?
- Utility is measurable in an ordinal sense
- ordinal utility approach - does not assign values, instead works with a ranking of preferences.
In “The Cardinal Approach”, What is Total Utility?
Total utility (TU) - the overall level of satisfaction derived from consuming a good or service
In “The Cardinal Approach”, What is Marginal Utility (MU)?
Marginal utility (MU) additional satisfaction that an individual derives from
consuming an additional unit of a good or service.
Formula :
MU = Change in total utility/Change in quantity
= ∆ TU/∆ Q
In “The Cardinal Approach” What does the law of Diminishing Marginal Utility(Return) mean?
- Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility (Return) = As more and
more of a good are consumed, the process of consumption
will (at some point) yield smaller and smaller additions to
utility - When the total utility maximum, marginal utility = 0
- When the total utility begins to decrease, the
marginal utility = negative (-ve)
What is Consumer Equilibrium?
Consumers face constraints (income and prices) - therefore if MUx/Px>MUy/Py, customer will spend more on Good X and less on Good Y
In “The Ordinal Approach”, What is the indifference curve?
- Axes: both axes refer to the quantity of goods.
- Curve where the points represent a combination of items when
the consumer at indifference situation (satisfaction).
Curve shifts to upward right for more satisfaction
Curve shifts to downward left for less satisfaction
What are the properties of indifference curve?
- Downward sloping from left to right
- Convex to the origin
- Do not cross (intersect)
- Different ICs show different level of satisfaction.
What is a market?
Market : A group of buyers and sellers of a particular good or service.
Buyers: Determine the demand for the product
Sellers: Determine the supply of the product
What is “Quantity Demanded”?
Amount of good that buyers are willing and able to purchase.
What is the law of demand?
Other things equal, when the price of the good rises, Quantity demanded of a good falls.
What is a Demand schedule?
A Table - Relationship between the price of a good and quantity demanded
What is a Demand Curve?
A Graph - Relationship between the price of a good and quantity demanded
What is individual demand?
Demand of one individual
What is Market demand curve?
Sum of individual demand curves horizontally
How are shifts in demand curve expressed?
- Increase in demand - demand curve shifts right - signifies any change that increases the quantity demanded at every price.
- Decrease in demand - Demand curve shifts left - signifies any change that decreases the quantity demanded at every price
What are the variables which shift the demand curve?
- Income
- Price of related goods
- Tastes
- Expectations
- Number of buyers
What are inferior goods?
How does demand vary with Income?
All other things constant, Increase in income will tend to increase quantity demanded and vice versa in case of normal goods. Whereas for inferior goods, the opposite.
What are substitute goods vs complement goods?
How does price of related products affect demand?
Substitute - two goods. An increase in price of one good increases the demand of the other good
Complements - Two Goods. An increase in price of one good will decrease the demand of the other good.
How does “Tastes” affect demand?
changes in tastes - changes the demand.
expectations of increased income, price increase - increases current demand.
How does no of buyers affect demand?
As the number of buyers increase , market demand increases.
What is equilibrium?
Equilibrium is a situation where demand and supply forces are in balance. market price is such that the quantity supplied = quantity demanded. The supply and demand curves intersect.