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Demand Supply Curve
Demand Supply Curve
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Supply and demand are among the most important concepts in economics. They drive the prices of goods and services
in a market economy, as well as salary levels. – Demand represents how much of a product or service people want. –
Supply represents how much (the quantity) of a good or service a market can provide or offer. The amount of a product
people are willing to buy at a price is “the quantity demanded.” The relationship between demand and price is called the
demand relationship.
The relationship between the amount of products and services that are for sale and the amount that people
want to buy, especially in the way this affects prices
Consumers will typically continue buying goods if the fulfillment that comes from the goods or service is worth
the price they pay.
Likewise, suppliers will continue to provide goods if they can sell the them at a profit, i.e., the cost of production
is less than the sale price.
This relationship allows us to find the “market price” for goods or services
❖ If supply stays the same and demand increases, then a shortage will occur. This causes the equilibrium price to
increase
❖ If supply stays the same and demand decreases, then a surplus will occur. This causes the equilibrium price to
decrease
❖ If supply increases and demand stays the same, then a surplus will occur. This causes the equilibrium price to
decrease
❖ If supply decreases and demand stays the same, then a shortage will occur. This causes the equilibrium price to
increase
❖ Whenever there is a shortage, prices increase, inversely with every surplus there will be a price decrease.
What is demand-Desire for customer to purchase a good must be backed by the money/ability
to pay for the good.
A change in any one of the underlying factors that determine what quantity people are
willing to buy at a given price will cause a shift in demand.
quantity demand for goods and services is the number of goods and services that is
purchased at certain price in a given period of time.
Law of demad
there is an inverse relationship between price and quantity demanded.
the higher the price of goods , the lower the quantity that will be demanded of the
goods
the lower the price of goods, the higher the quantity that will be demanded of the
goods
the demand curves slope downward from left to right
for example, the price of chicken decreases, the quantity demand for chicken will
increases.
As a result of the higher income levels, the demand curve shifts to the right, toward ….., People have more
money on average, power of purchasing increase, so they are more likely to buy a house at a given
price, increasing the quantity demanded.
1. A product whose demand rises when income rises, and vice versa, is called a normal good.
2. A product whose demand falls when income rises, and vice versa, is called an inferior good. As
incomes rise, many people will buy fewer generic-brand groceries and more name-brand
groceries. They are less likely to buy used cars and more likely to buy new cars. They will be less
likely to rent an apartment and more likely to own a home, and so on.
Example. When consumer income is low, people buy terrace house . If the economy
grows and consumer income increases, people buy bungalow instead of terrace house
3. luxury goods increases when a person's wealth or income increases. Typically, the greater
the percentage increase in income, the greater the percentage increase in luxury item
purchases. Luxury goods are expensive, wealthy people are disproportionate consumers of
luxury goods
Elasticity of demand
Measurement of the effect of any changes in the price of good on the quantity demanded
The sensitivity of different items to price changes can be compared
Responsiveness of the demand of a good to a change in the price
Elastic demand or supply curves indicate that the quantity demanded or supplied
responds to price changes in a greater than proportional manner. An inelastic
demand or supply curve is one where a given percentage change in price will cause
a smaller percentage change in quantity demanded or supplied.
Formula :- = change in quantity / original quantity
change in price / original price
1. When elasticity values >1, means demand for product is elastic (price elastic); means
demands changes were significant when price changes
If Volvic water increases in price, there will be a significant fall in demand because
people buy cheaper substitutes (demand is elastic)
2. When elasticity value is < 1, means demand for product is not elastic (price inelastic);
means demand changes not significant when price changes. An inelastic demand or supply curve is
one where a given percentage change in price will cause a smaller percentage change in quantity demanded or
supplied.
If petrol increases in price, because it is a necessity, there is only a small fall in
demand (we say it is inelastic demand).
Elasticity factor
1. Price level
2. Timeframe of price changes
3. Importance of good in consumer budget
4. Substitute product
5. Income level
Other types of elasticity
1. Supply elasticity
Changes of quantity supplied and changes in prices
Responsiveness of producers in the supply
General rule; higher prices, more supply (+ve)
Economies of scale
2. Income elasticity
Changes of quantity demanded and changes in income
Normal goods/inferior goods/luxury goods
Supply – is the quantity of goods that a producer is able and willing to sell.
Quantity Supply refers to the quantity of a good that the producer plans to sell in the market.
. Supply curve- The supply curve is a graphic representation of the correlation between the
cost of a good or service and the quantity supplied for a given period.
Movement along the supply curve
The supply curve will move upward from left to right, as explained in the law
of supply
When the amount payable to factors of production and cost of inputs increases, the cost of production also
increases. This will decreases the profitability at any given selling price for its products. . As a result, a higher cost of
production typically causes a firm to supply a smaller quantity at any given price. For example, the cost of input such
as raw material, equipment, and machines increases, the supply of product would decrease so as to save the
resources and gain more profit. In this case, the producers would either reduce supply quantity of product to
the market or stock the product till the market price is exceeded. Hence it will decrease the supply , the supply
curve shifts to the left.and vise versa.
4. improvement of Technology
Shifts in the supply curve are usually the result of advances in technology that reduce the cost of production.
Technology advances can improve the production efficiency and therefore cut down the cost spent for
production and labour cost. It raises the profit margin and induces the seller to increase the supply . // IoT, BIM
and machine learning are good examples of the effects of technology on the supply curve which will increase
the productivity and reduce the cost of production and lead to increase the profit of the firm. hence, the
supply will increase.
5. Governments’ policies
Government policies can affect the cost of production and the supply curve through taxes, regulations, and subsidies
which great influence on the supply of a product. The lower the tax, the lower the cost of production, It raises
the profit margin and induces the seller to increase the supply. On the other hand, if the strict regulations are
imposed and the excise duty is added, the product’s supply would fall off. Implies that the different policies of
government, such as fiscal policy and industrial policy, has a greater impact on the supply of a product. For
example, increase in tax on excise duties would decrease the supply of a product. //On the other hand, if the
tax rate is low, then the supply of a product would increase.
7. Transportation condition
The supply chain relies on the efficient management of assets and logistics to get raw materials, parts and
finished products from one place to another. Transport is always a constraint to the supply of products, as the
products are not available on time due to poor transport facilities.
With the lack of transportation management, raw materials could not be delivered to the manufacturer fast
and in good condition. The lack of facilities would also prevent the company from distributing its product to
consumers when there is a burst in demand. This would not only damage the company’s benefit but also
lower the competitiveness of the company towards its competitors.
An increase in the price of one complement good causes an increase in the supply of the other. A decrease in
the price of one complement good causes a decrease in the supply of the other.
8. Natural Conditions:
Implies that climatic conditions directly affect the supply of certain products. For example, the supply of
agricultural products increases when monsoon comes on time. However, the supply of these products
decreases at the time of drought. Some of the crops are climate specific and their growth purely depends on
climatic conditions. For example Kharif crops are well grown at the time of summer, while Rabi crops are
produce well in winter season.
1. A decrease in costs of production. This means business can supply more at each
price.firms have an incentive to supply more because they get extra revenue (income)
from selling the goods. Lower costs could be due to lower wages, lower raw material
costs
2. Number of firms. An increase in the number of producers will cause an increase in
supply.
3. Investment in capacity. Expansion in the capacity of existing firms, e.g. building a new
factory
4. The profitability of alternative products. If a supplier sees the price of timber
increase, he may switch to build steel roof for buildings on and this will lead to a fall in
the supply of timber roof.
5. Related supply. If there is an increase in the supply of land then there will also be an
increase in the supply of houses.
6. Productivity of workers. If workers become more motivated and work hard, then there
will be significant increase in output and supply.
7. Technological improvements. Improvements in technology, such as computers or
automation, reducing firms costs, increase the productivity.
8. Lower taxes. Lower direct taxes (e.g. import tax) reduce the cost of goods.
9. Government subsidies. Increase in government subsidies will also reduce the cost of
goods, e.g. train subsidies reduce the price of production, increase the profit. there will
be significant increase in output and supply.
10. Objectives of firms. If firms are profit maximisers and collude with other firms, we may
see a fall in supply as they try to maximise profits. However, if they switch to targetting
sales or revenue maximisation, then we will see an increase in supply.
11. weather conditions Climatic conditions are very important for agricultural products
In this case, there is a fall in supply. The supply curve shifts to the left. This causes a higher
price. The supply can shift to the left because
Shift to right
1. More firms
2. Improved technology
3. Lower tax
4. Higher government subsidies
5. More firms enter the market
Elasticity
The elasticity of a good provides a measure of how sensitive one variable
is to changes in another variable. Elasticity refers to the degree of
responsiveness or sensitivities in demand or supply in relation to
changes in price.
If a curve is more elastic, then small changes in price will cause large
changes in quantity consumed.
• If a curve is less elastic (inelastic), then it will take large changes in price
to effect a change in quantity consumed.
Graphically, elasticity can be represented by the appearance of the
demand or supply curve.
• A more elastic curve will be horizontal, and
• A less elastic curve will tilt more vertically.
Types of Elasticity
1. Price Elasticity of Demand (PED)
Shows how sensitive QDis to a change in Price
Depends on how many substitutes for that good
For example, if the price of salt is raised by 50%, the demand would still be inelastic as consumers
would keep on purchasing. Conversely, if the price of a home theatre system is raised by 25%, the
demand for the system would be more elastic.
For example, a laptop may be a luxury product for an ordinary individual, while a necessity for a
computer engineer. Thus, price elasticity differs across people due to their different needs.
For example, if the prices of vegetables that are used regularly are raised, the consumption would
not decrease. Thus, the demand would be inelastic. Similarly, if products such as medicines are to
be used in an emergency, the demand for them would not decrease.
11. Addiction
Some products, such as cigarettes and other tobacco-based products, have inelastic demand.
For instance, smokers may be willing to pay extra for cigarettes even in case of a price rise. Thus,
the demand would remain the same.
- Price level
- Timeframe of price changes
-
PES > 1: Supply is elastic.
PES < 1: Supply is inelastic.
PES = 0: The supply curve is vertical; there is no response of demand to prices.
Supply is “perfectly inelastic.”
PES = ∞ (i.e., infinity): The supply curve is horizontal; there is extreme change in demand in response to
very small change in prices. Supply is “perfectly elastic.”
Inelastic goods are often described as necessities. A shift in price does not
drastically impact consumer demand or the overall supply of the good because it is
not something people are able or willing to go without. Examples of inelastic goods
would be water, gasoline, housing, and food.
Elastic goods are usually viewed as luxury items. An increase in price for an elastic
good has a noticeable impact on consumption. The good is viewed as something
that individuals are willing to sacrifice in order to save money. An example of an
elastic good is movie tickets, which are viewed as entertainment and not a
necessity.
Determinants of PES
2. Time dimensions – in the short term, supply is inelastic, but in the long term,
supply becomes more elastic.
Elasticity factor
1. Price level
2. Timeframe of price changes
3. Importance of good in consumer budget
4. Substitute product
5. Income level
Other types of elasticity
1. Supply elasticity
Economies of scale
2. Income elasticity