Sharon Kartika

Writing style: sentences should have a coherent flow of logic.

Demand curve

Consider three prices px<px<pxp_x''<p_x'<p_x and their corresponding budget lines for income II.

This gives 3 equilibrium point in the utility map. Plot px,px,pxp_x'',p_x',p_x with x,x,xx'',x',x which are the optimal quantity of XX purchased for each of the pxp_x respectively. This is the demand curve. For a normal good, the demand curve is always negatively sloped.

Thus the demand curve displays the relationship between the price and quantity demanded, all else assumed constant.

Every point in the demand curve is an equilibrium point (by definition).

Here we hold constant,

If these change, the demand curve shifts.

As the price decreases, demand increases.

If the income increases, the demand curve shifts away from the origin parallely.

If pyp_y increases, and if yy is a perfect substitute, more of xx is bought. This results in a shift away from the origin in the demand curve. If on the other hand yy is a perfect complement, the demand curve shifts towards the origin.

If the preference changes, so that, say, xx is more preferred, the demand increases, and the demand curve of xx shifts to the right.

Elasticity

Responsiveness of demand to price changes.

Demand function:

qx=f(px,py,I) q_x = f(p_x, p_y, I)

Price elasticity of demand: proportional change in quantitiy demanded of xx due to proportional change in the price of x. i,e

exp=(Δqxqx)(Δpxpx)=δqxδpxpxqx e_{xp}=\frac{\left(\frac{\Delta q_x}{qx}\right)}{\left(\frac{\Delta p_x}{p_x}\right)} = \frac{\delta q_x}{\delta p_x}\cdot\frac{p_x}{q_x}

It is often negative.

If exp=1e_{xp}=-1, it means that if price increases by 1%1\%, quantity demanded decreases by 1%1\%.

This is known as unitary elastic demand.

What if exp>1e_{xp}>-1?

Sin goods are inelastic. Along with petroleum, rice etc. Their demand change is less sensitive to the price change. This is why governments increase higher taxes on inelastic goods.

Non necessary goods are elastic demand.

Sharon Kartika. Last modified: January 04, 2024.