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Economics
substitute rises.
Complements
If the price of a commodity increases, quantity demanded of
Point on e
Demand Demand 35
Curve Price (Rs (‘000 d
Price of Coffee
per cup) cups)
30
a 15 50 c
b 20 40 25
b
c 25 30 20
d 30 20 a
15
e 35 10
O
10 20 30 40 50
Quantity of coffee
Change in Demand
Price of Coffee
Supply (Rs. Per cups per e
Curve cup) month) 30
a 15 10 25 d
c
b 20 20 20
b
c 25 30 15 a
d 30 45
e 35 60 0
10 20 30 40 50 60
Quantity of Coffee
Change in Supply
Price Demand
Supply (‘000 cups/
Price (‘000 cups/ month)
S (Rs) month)
15 10 50
E 20 15 40
25
25 30 30
30 45 15
D 35 70 10
O 30 Quantity
Market Equilibrium
For prices below the equilibrium, Quantity demanded exceeds
quantity supplied (D>S)
Price pulled upward
For prices above the equilibrium, Quantity demanded is less than
quantity supplied (D<S)
Price pulled downward.
At point E demand is equal to supply hence 25 is equilibrium price.
Price
S Supply Demand
Price (‘000 cups/ (‘000 cups/
30 (Rs) month) month)
E 15 10 50
25
20 15 40
20
25 30 30
30 45 15
D
35 70 10
O
30 Quantity
Changes in Market Equilibrium
(Shifts in Supply Curve)
The original point of equilibrium is
at E, the point of intersection of
curves D1 and S1, at price P and
quantity Q Price
S0
An increase in supply shifts the
D1 S1
supply curve to S2
Price falls to P2 and quantity rises E0 S2
P0
to Q2, taking the new equilibrium to E
E2 P
S0
E2
P2
A decrease in supply shifts the
S1
supply curve to S0. Price rises to S2 D1
P0 and quantity falls to Q0 taking
O
the new equilibrium to E0 Q0 Q Q2 Quantity
Thus an increase in supply raises
quantity but lowers price, while a
decrease in supply lowers quantity
but raises price; demand being
unchanged
Changes in Market Equilibrium
(Shifts in Demand Curve)
S2 from D1 D1 to D2 D2
supply curve also shifts to the right
from S1 S1 to S2 S2.
P2 E2
P1 The new equilibrium is at E , and
E1 E0 2
price quantity is (P2, Q2).
An increase in both supply and
S1 D demand will cause the sales to rise,
S2 D2 2
D1 but
O the price will increase if increase
Q1 Q2 Quantity in D>S (as at E2 )
No change in price if increase in
D=increase in S (as at E0 )
Summary
Demand is defined as the desire to acquire a commodity to satisfy
human wants, which is backed by ability to pay the price.
Categories of demand are made on the basis of the nature of
commodity demanded (consumer goods and capital goods); time unit
for which it is demanded (short run and long run); relation between two
goods (substitutes and complements), etc.
The law of demand states that the consumers will buy more of the
commodity when prices are high and less when prices are low,
provided all the other factors of demand remains constant.
Demand for a product X (Dx) is a function of price of the commodity X
(Px), income of the consumer (Y), price of related (substitutes or
complements) commodities (Po), tastes and preference of the
consumer (T), advertising (A), future expectations (E f), population and
economic growth (N).
A change in quantity demanded denotes movements along the
demand curve due to a change in price, while a change in demand
denotes a rightwards or leftward shift of the demand curve due to a
change in the other determinants of demand other than price.
Summary
Supply is defined as the willingness to produce and sell the commodity by
production units or firms.
The law of supply states that firms will sell more of the commodity when
prices are high and less of the commodity when prices are low provided all
the other factors of supply remains constant.
Supply of a product X (Sx) is a function of price of the product (Px), cost of
production (C), state of technology (T), Government policy regarding taxes
and subsidies (G), other factors like number of firms (N).
Change in quantity supplied refers to movements along the same supply
curve due to change in the price of the commodity. However when change in
supply is associated with change in the factors like costs of production,
technology, etc. it causes a shift of the supply curve upwards or downwards
Market equilibrium occurs where demand and supply are equal. This
equilibrium determines the price in the market through the forces of demand
and supply. Comparative statics is the process of comparison between two
equilibrium situations.
An increase in both supply and demand will cause the sales to rise, but the
effect on price can be positive, negative or equal to zero, depending on the
extent of the shifts in the demand and supply curves.