Chapter 5 price elasticity

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ELASTICITY OF DEMAND AND SUPPLY

Chapter 5Chapter 5

Price Elasticity of Demand

Price elasticity of demand allows us to measure the relative size of changes in the price and the quantity demanded

The price elasticity of demand formula is used to measure the degree of consumer responsiveness, or sensitivity to a change in price. The idea is to take a closer look at how sensitive

quantity is to the changes.

Price Elasticity of Demand

Question: “Is the response a little or a lot?”What does it measure?

The price elasticity of demand measures HOW RESPONSIVE CONSUMERS ARE TO A CHANGE IN PRICE!!!!

The elasticity formula

priceinchangepercentage

demandedquantityinchangepercentageEd

Price Elasticity of Demand

LO1

Law of demand ED negative

Absolute value of ED positive

2/)'(2/)'(

%

%

pp

p

qq

qE

p

qE

D

D

The elasticity formula

So, what does the percentage change in quantity demanded and the percentage change in price mean??

d

ddd Qold

QoldQnewQinchangepercentage

Pold

PoldPnewPinchangepercentage

LO1

Demand Curve for Tacos

D

10595 Thousands per day 0

0.90

Pric

e pe

r ta

co

$1.10

b

a

If the price of tacos drops from $1.10 to $0.90, the quantity demanded increases from 95,000 to 105,000.

Exhibit 1

Categories of ED

LO1

If %∆q < %∆p– ED between 0 and 1

– Inelastic D If %∆q > %∆p

– ED greater than 1

– Elastic D If %∆q = %∆p

– ED = 1

– Unit elastic D

Elasticity and Total Revenue

LO1

Total revenue = price * quantity demanded at this price

TR= p * q As p decreases

If D elastic, TR increases

If D inelastic, TR decreases

If D unit elastic, TR unchanged

Price Elasticity and the Linear D Curve

LO1

Linear D curve– Constant slope– Different elasticity– D becomes less elastic as we move

downward D upper half: elastic D lower half: inelastic D midpoint: unit elastic

LO1

Demand, Price Elasticity, and Total

RevenueWhere D is elastic, a lower P increases TR

Where D is inelastic, a lower P decreases TR

TR reaches a maximum at the rate of output where D is unit elastic

Exhibit 2

D

90

60

10

70

Pric

e pe

r un

it

$100

80

50403020

b

a

de

800500200100 Quantity per period1,000 0 900

Tot

al r

even

ue

$25,000

500 Quantity per period1,000 0

(a) Demand and price elasticity

(b) Total revenue

Total

revenue

Unit elastic, ED =1

Elastic, ED >1

Inelastic, ED <1c

Constant-Elasticity Demand Curves

LO1

Perfectly elastic D curve– Horizontal; ED = ∞

– Consumers don’t tolerate P increases Perfectly inelastic D curve

– Vertical; ED = 0

– ‘Price is no object’ Unit-elastic D curve

– %∆p causes an exact opposite %∆q

LO1

Constant-Elasticity Demand Curves

0 Quantity per period

Pric

e pe

r un

it

pED = ∞

(a) Perfectly elastic

D

Pric

e pe

r un

itED’’ = 0

(b) Perfectly inelastic

ED ’’ = 1

(c) Unit elastic

D’

0 Quantity

per periodQ

Pric

e pe

r un

it

$10

6

0 Quantity

per period60 100

D’’

a

Consumers demand all quantity offered for sale at p, but demand nothing at a price above p

Consumers demand Q regardless of price

Total revenue is the same for each p-q combination

b

Exhibit 3

LO1

Summary of Price Elasticity of DemandEffects of a 10 Percent Increase in Price

Exhibit 4

Determinants of Price Elasticity of D

LO2

ED is greater:

– The greater the availability of substitutes, and the more similar the substitutes

– The more important the good as a share of the consumer’s budget

– The longer the period of adjustment (time)

LO2

Demand Becomes More Elastic over Time

Dw

Pric

e pe

r un

it

$1.25

1.00

Dm

Quantity per day95 10075500

Dy

e

Dy is more elastic than Dm , which is more elastic than Dw

Dw: one week after the price increase

Dm: one month after the price increase

Dy: one year after the price increase

Exhibit 5

Elasticity Estimates

LO2

Short run– Consumers have little time to adjust

Long run– Consumers can fully adjust to a price change

Demand is more elastic in the long run

LO2 Selected Price Elasticities of Demand (Absolute Values)

Exhibit 6

Price Elasticity of Supply

LO3

Elasticity– Responsiveness

Price elasticity of supply– Producers’ responsiveness to a change

in price– Percentage change in quantity supplied

divided by percentage change in price

Price Elasticity of Supply

LO3

Law of supply ES positive

2/)'(2/)'(

%

%

pp

p

qq

qE

p

qE

S

S

LO3

Price Elasticity of Supply

S

Pric

e pe

r un

it

p

p’

Quantity per periodq q’0

If the price increases from p to p’, the quantity supplied increases from q to q’.

Price and quantity supplied move in the same direction, so the price elasticity of supply is a positive number.

Exhibit 7

Categories of ES

LO3

If %∆q < %∆p– ES between 0 and 1

– Inelastic S If %∆q > %∆p

– ES greater than 1

– Elastic S If %∆q = %∆p

– ES = 1

– Unit elastic S

Constant-Elasticity Supply Curves

LO3

Perfectly elastic S curve– Horizontal; ES = ∞

– Producers supply 0 at a price below P Perfectly inelastic S curve

– Vertical; ES = 0

– Goods in fixed supply Unit-elastic S curve

– %∆p causes an exact opposite %∆q– S curve is a ray from the origin

LO3

Constant-Elasticity Supply Curves

0 Quantity

per period

Pric

e pe

r un

it

pES = ∞

(a) Perfectly elastic

S

Pric

e pe

r un

itES’ = 0

(b) Perfectly inelastic

ES’’ = 1

(c) Unit elastic

S’

0 Quantity

per period

Q

Pric

e pe

r un

it

$10

5

0 Quantity

per period

10 20

S’’

Firms supply any amount of output demanded at p, but supply 0 at prices below p.

Quantity supplied is independent of the price

Any %∆p results in the same %∆q supplied.

Exhibit 8

Determinants of Supply Elasticity

LO3

ES is greater:

– If the marginal cost rises slowly as output expands

– The longer the period of adjustment (time)

LO3

Supply Becomes More Elastic over Time

Sw

Pric

e pe

r un

it

1.00

$1.25

Quantity per day110 2000 100 140

Sm

Sy

Sw: one week after the price increase

Sm: one month after the price increase

Sy: one year after the price increase

Sw is less elastic than Sm, which is less elastic than Sy

Exhibit 9

Income Elasticity of Demand

LO4

Demand responsiveness to a change in consumer income

Percentage change in demand divided by the percentage change in income that caused it

Inferior goods– Negative income elasticity

Normal goods– Positive income elasticity

Other Elasticity Measures

Income Elasticity Measure: Def: Income elasticity of demand is the ratio of the

percentage change in quantity demanded of a good or service to a given percentage change in income.

21

12

21

12

II

II

QQ

QQEI

Income Elasticity of Demand

LO4

Normal goods– Income inelastic

• Elasticity between 0 and 1• Necessities

– Income elastic• Elasticity > 1• Luxuries

LO4

Selected Income Elasticities of Demand

Exhibit 10

Cross-Price Elasticity of Demand

LO4

Responsiveness of D for one good to changes in P of another good

%∆ in demand for one good divided by %∆ in price of another good– If positive: substitutes– If negative: complements– If zero: unrelated

Cross-Price Elasticity of Demand

Def: The ratio of the percentage change in the quantity demanded of a good or service to a given percentage change in the price of another good or service

21

12

21

12

yy

yy

xx

xxc PP

PP

QQ

QQE

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