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Saturday, November 12, 2011

Class 28 – Demand Change and Elasticity


Today we talked about what affects market demand. Comparative statics are what things impact the amount of a good we buy.

To move up and down the demand curve: price changes. (change quantity demand).

To move the demand curve (shift whole demand curve left or right):
            Changes in income – more income doesn’t mean you consume more.
            Price of other things change
            Expectations change – what the future predicts about demand impacts us today
            Tastes change – preferences change
            Number of participants

Normal goods – income increases = quantity demand increases
Inferior goods – income increases = quantity demand decreases
Substitute goods – price of good X increases – demand for good Y increases
Compliment goods – price of good X increases – price for good Y increases

Quantity demand is defined as how much of a good we consume as a function of our ability/willinness to buy it.

Elasticity:
When the law of demand seems to not apply.
Elastic - consumption is VERY responsive to change in price
Inelastic - consumption is NOT that responsive to change in price

We measure this using Own Price Elasticity of Demand:
m=%change in quantity demanded / %change in price.

If m =2, and price increases by 10% then you consume 20% less.

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