Laugher Curve

Demand Q. What do you get when you cross

the Godfather with an economist?
A. An offer you can't understand.
Chapter 4-1

Demand The Law of Demand

• Demand means the willingness and • Law of demand – there is an

capacity to pay. inverse relationship between price
• Prices are the tools by which the and quantity demanded.
market coordinates individual – Quantity demanded rises as price
desires. falls, other things constant.
– Quantity demanded falls as prices
rise, other things constant.

1
 The Law of Demand The Demand Curve

• What accounts for the law of • The demand curve is the graphic
demand? representation of the law of
– People tend to substitute for goods whose
demand.
price has gone up. • The demand curve slopes
downward and to the right.
• As the price goes up, the quantity
demanded goes down.

A Sample Demand Curve Other Things Constant

• Other things constant places a

limitation on the application of the
law of demand.
Price (per unit)

PA A
– All other factors that affect quantity
demanded are assumed to remain
constant, whether they actually remain
constant or not.
D
0
QA
Quantity demanded (per unit of time)

2
 Other Things Constant Shifts in Demand Versus
Movements Along a Demand
• Other things constant places a Curve
limitation on the application of the • Demand refers to a schedule of
law of demand. quantities of a good that will be bought
– These factors may include changing per unit of time at various prices, other
tastes, prices of other goods, income, things constant.
even the weather.
• Graphically, it refers to the entire
demand curve.

Shifts in Demand Versus Shifts in Demand Versus

Movements Along a Demand Movements Along a Demand
Curve Curve
• Quantity demanded refers to a • A movement along a demand
specific amount that will be demand curve is the graphical
per unit of time at a specific price. representation of the effect of a
change in price on the quantity
• Graphically, it refers to a specific point demanded.
on the demand curve.

3
 Change in Quantity
Shifts in Demand Versus Demanded
Movements Along a Demand
Curve
• A shift in demand is the graphical $2 B

Price (per unit)

representation of the effect of Change in quantity demanded
(a movement along the curve)
anything other than price on
A
demand. $1

D1
0
100 200
Quantity demanded (per unit of time)

Shift in Demand Shift Factors of Demand

• Shift factors of demand are factors

Change in demand that cause shifts in the demand
(a shift of the curve)
$2 curve:
Price (per unit)

– Society's income.
B A – The prices of other goods.
$1
– Tastes.
D0
– Expectations.
D1 – Taxes on subsidies to consumers.
100 200 250
Quantity demanded (per unit of time)

4
Income Price of Other Goods

• An increase in income will increase • When the price of a substitute good

demand for normal goods. falls, demand falls for the good
• An increase in income will decrease whose price has not changed.
demand for inferior goods. • When the price of a complement
good falls, demand rises for the
good whose price has not changed.

Tastes Expectations

• A change in taste will change • If you expect your income to rise,

demand with no change in price. you may consume more now.
• If you expect prices to fall in the
future, you may put off purchases
today.

5
Taxes and Subsidies The Demand Table

• Taxes levied on consumers • The demand table assumes all the

increase the cost of goods to following:
consumers, thereby reducing – As price rises, quantity demanded
demand. declines.
• Subsidies have an opposite effect. – Quantity demanded has a specific
time dimension to it.
– All the products involved are identical
in shape, size, quality, etc.

From a Demand Table to a

The Demand Table
Demand Curve
• The demand table assumes all the • You plot each point in the demand
following: table on a graph and connect the
– The schedule assumes that points to derive the demand curve.
everything else is held constant.

6
 From a Demand Table to a From a Demand Table to a
Demand Curve Demand Curve
• The demand curve graphically • The curve represents the maximum
conveys the same information that price that you will pay for various
is on the demand table. quantities of a good – you will
happily pay less.

From a Demand Table to a Individual and Market

Demand Curve Demand Curves
• A market demand curve is the
A Demand Table $6.00
A Demand Curve horizontal sum of all individual
Price per DVD rentals 5.00 demand curves.
Price per DVDs (in dollars)

cassette demanded per

week 4.00 E – This is determined by adding the
A $0.50 9 3.50 G individual demand curves of all the
3.00 D
B 1.00 8 demanders.
C Demand for
C 2.00 6 2.00 DVDs
D 3.00 4 1.00
F B
A
E 4.00 2 .50
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Quantity of DVDs demanded (per week)

7
Individual and Market From Individual Demands
Demand Curves to a Market Demand Curve
• Sellers estimate total market
demand for their product which (1) (2) (3) (2) (3)
$4.00
G
becomes smooth and downward Price per Alice’s Bruce’s
cassette demand demand
Cathy’s
demand
Market
demand 3.50

Price per cassette (in dollars)

3.00 F
sloping curve. A $.0.50 9 6 1 16 E
B 1.00 8 5 1 14 2.50
D
C 1.50 7 4 0 11 2.00
D 2.00 6 3 0 9 C
1.50
E 2.50 5 2 0 7 B
F 3.00 4 1 0 5 1.00
A
G 3.50 3 0 0 3 0.50
H 4.00 2 0 0 2 Cathy Bruce Alice Market demand
0
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Quantity of cassettes demanded per week

McGraw-Hill/Irwin © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved.

The Law of Demand

• The demand curve is downward

sloping for the following reasons:
– At lower prices, existing demanders
buy more.
– At lower prices, new demanders enter
the market.