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B $250 - $200
$250 % change in P = ´ 100% = 22.2%
A $225
$200
12 - 8
% change in Q = ´ 100% = 40%
D 10
Q 40%
8 12
Price elasticity = = 1.8
22.2%
6
Elasticity of Demand: Arc and Point
P 25
24
23 Demand: Q = f(P)
22
Arc Elasticity
21
20
DQ DP
19
18
17
e=-3 (d1) e= ÷
(Q1 + Q2 ) / 2 ( P1 + P2 ) / 2
16
15
14
13 e=-1(d1)
12
11
10
e=-5(d3)
Point Elasticity
9 d3
8 e=-1(d2) ∆"
7
e=-0.33(d1) %∆% " ∆% & &
6
5 𝑒= = ∆# = . =𝑄'()*+ .
4 %∆& ∆& % %
3 d2 d1 #
2
1
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Q/t
Q=120-2P TR=PxQ dQ/dP
Demand Qd = 120 – 2P
P Q TR Slope e e
36 1810
25 70 1750 -2 -0.71 35 35
26 68 1768 -2 -0.76 -0.74 34 34 1798
1800
1798
1800
P
D • D curve : Vertical
P falls Q
by 10% Q1
Q changes
by 0%
11
Inelastic demand
Price elasticity % change in Q <10%
= = <1
of demand % change in P 10%
P
• D curve: relatively steep
P1
• Consumers’ price sensitivity:
P2 • relatively low
D
• Elasticity:<1
P falls Q
by 10% Q1 Q2
Q rises less
than 10%
12
Unit elastic demand
Price elasticity % change in Q 10%
= = =1
of demand % change in P 10%
• Elasticity: >1
P falls Q
by 10% Q1 Q2
Q rises more
than 10%
14
Perfectly elastic demand
Price elasticity % change in Q any %
= = = infinity
of demand % change in P 0%
P
• D curve: horizontal
P2 = P1 D • Consumers’ price
P changes sensitivity: extreme
by 0%
• Elasticity: infinity
Q
Q1 Q2
Q changes
by any %
15
Elasticity along a Linear Demand Curve
10. Suppose the price of potato chips 12. Studies indicate that the price elasticity
decreases from $1.45 to $1.25 and, as a of demand for cigarettes is about 0.4. A
result, the quantity of potato chips government policy aimed at reducing
demanded increases from 2,000 to smoking changed the price of a pack of
2,200. Using the midpoint method, the cigarettes from $2 to $6. According to
price elasticity of demand for pota-to the midpoint meth-od, the government
chips in the given price range is policy should have reduced smoking by
a. 2.00. a. 30%.
b. 1.55. b. 40%.
c. 1.00. c. 80%.
d. 0.64. d. 250%.
Price Elasticity and Total Revenue
P and Q fall.
P1 initial value
Result: of drug-
A decrease in total spending P2 related
on drugs, and in drug-related crime
crime.
Q2 Q1 Quantity
of Drugs
Income elasticity of demand
measures the response of Qd to a change in consumer income
Income elasticity of Percent change in Qd
=
demand Percent change in income
(Q2 - Q1 ) / [(Q2 + Q1 ) / 2 ]
Price elasticity of supply =
(P2 - P1 ) / [(P2 + P1 ) / 2 ]
31
The Price Elasticity of Supply (a, b)
(a) Perfectly Inelastic Supply: (b) Inelastic Supply:
Elasticity Equals 0 Elasticity Is Less Than 1
•The price elasticity of supply determines whether the supply curve is steep or flat.
•Note that all percentage changes are calculated using the midpoint method.
32
The Price Elasticity of Supply (c, d)
The price elasticity of supply determines whether the supply curve is steep or flat.
Note that all percentage changes are calculated using the midpoint method.
33
Elasticity of Supply
P
Si
SS
b
P2
c SL
P3
d
P4
P1
a
D2
D1
O Q1 Q3 Q4 Q
13. Which of the following statements is valid when the market supply curve is vertical?
a. Market quantity supplied does not change when the price changes.
b. Supply is perfectly elastic.
c. An increase in market demand will increase the equilibrium quantity.
d. An increase in market demand will not increase the equilibrium price.
When an advance in farm technology increases the supply of wheat from S1 to S2, the price of
wheat falls. Because the demand for wheat is inelastic, the increase in the quantity sold from
100 to 110 is proportionately smaller than the decrease in the price from $3 to $2. As a
result, farmers’ total revenue falls from $300 ($3 × 100) to $220 ($2 × 110).
38
A Reduction in Supply in the World Market for Oil
• When the supply of oil falls, the response depends on the time horizon. In the short run, supply and
demand are relatively inelastic, as in panel (a). Thus, when the supply curve shifts from S1 to S2, the price
rises substantially.
• In the long run, however, supply and demand are relatively elastic, as in panel (b). In this case, the same
size shift in the supply curve (S1 to S2) causes a smaller increase in the price. 39
Policies to Reduce the Use of Illegal Drugs
(a) Drug Interdiction (b) Drug Education
• Drug interdiction reduces the supply of drugs from S1 to S2, as in panel (a). If the demand for drugs is inelastic,
then the total amount paid by drug users rises, even as the amount of drug use falls.
• By contrast, drug education reduces the demand for drugs from D1 to D2, as in panel (b). Because both price
and quantity fall, the amount paid by drug users falls.
40