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Definition
– ‘Utility’ means the satisfaction obtained from consuming a
commodity.
Two Types of Approach
– Cardinal Approach
• The cardinal utility theory says that utility is measurable and by
placing a number of alternatives so that the utility can be added.
• The index used to measure utility is called utils.
– Ordinal Approach
• The ordinal utility theory says that utility is not measurable but it
can be compared.
• Ordinal approach uses the ranking of alternatives as first, second,
third and so on.
MU = TU/ Q
Definition
The additional benefit which a person derives from a
given increase of a stock of a thing diminishes, other
things being equal, with every increase in the stock that
he already has.
OR
Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility states that as
consumption increases more and more, marginal utility
will be less and less.
Definition
– An indifference curve represents all the possible
combinations of two goods which will give the same
level of satisfaction.
Assumptions
1. Scale of preferences
2. Consumers’ preferences are transitivity
3. Rationality
4. Diminishing marginal rate of substitution
5. Concept of ordinal utility
The higher the indifference curve from the origin, higher will be the utility.
IC33 has the higher satisfaction.
An
An increase
increase in
in consumer’s
consumer’s income
income will
will lead
lead to
to a
a shift
shift of
of the
the budget
budget line
line to
to the
the right,
right, A1B1.
A1B1.
A
A decrease
decrease in
in consumer’s
consumer’s income
income will
will shift
shift the
the budget
budget line
line to
to the
the left
left as
as represented
represented by
by A
A 22B
B2.2.
30 30
25
20 20
Good Y
15 AB
Good Y
A1B1 AB
10 10
5
A1B1
0 0
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
Good X Good X
Good
Good X
X
Price
Price of
of good
good X
X increase
increase from
from RM1
RM1 toto Price
Price of
of good
good X
X decrease
decrease from
from RM1
RM1 to
to
RM2
RM2 and
and price
price of
of good
good Y
Y constant.
constant. RM0.50
RM0.50 and
and price
price of
of good
good YY constant.
constant.
30 30
25 25
20 20
Good Y
Good Y
15 AB 15 AB
AB1 AB1
10 10
5 5
0 0
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Good X Good X
Price of good Y increase from RM0.50 Price of good Y decrease from RM0.50
to RM1 and price of good X constant. to RM0.40 and price of good X constant.
INCOME EFFECT
– The income effect is defined as the effect on the purchases of
the consumer caused by changes in income with prices of goods
remaining constant.
PRICE EFFECT
– Price effect explains what happens to the consumers’
equilibrium position when the price of one good changes while
the price of another good and other factors remains constant.
SUBSTITUTION EFFECT
– Substitution effect explains what happens to the consumers’
equilibrium position when the price of both good changes—price of one
rises and price of another falls while other factors remains constant.
Example : Suppose Sally who is fond of chocolates is ready to pay for each successive bar
of chocolate as shown in table below. Assume that Sally is willing to pay lower price for the
successive bar of chocolates. Assume the market price of one bar of chocolate is RM1.00.
CONSUMER SURPLUS = TOTAL VALUE – (MARKET PRICE x NUMBER OF UNITS CONSUMED)
Price (RM)
Bars of
1 2 3 4 5
chocolate
2.50
CONSUMER SURPLUS Price (RM) 2.50 2.00 1.50 1.00 0.80
Quantity
0
4