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Elasticity of Demand and Supply Tutorial

1. The document discusses elasticity of demand and supply, including: - Calculating price elasticity of demand for a video store that increased prices. - Calculating price elasticity of demand and supply for bicycles in Berlin between price ranges. - Calculating price elasticity of demand for movie tickets for adults and students as prices change. 2. It also discusses: - Calculating cross-price elasticity for various goods to determine if they are substitutes or complements. - Calculating price elasticity of demand and income elasticity of demand using different price and income levels. - Explaining the likely cross-price elasticity between rice and noodles, and electricity and electric stoves.

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linh le
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100% found this document useful (1 vote)
17 views4 pages

Elasticity of Demand and Supply Tutorial

1. The document discusses elasticity of demand and supply, including: - Calculating price elasticity of demand for a video store that increased prices. - Calculating price elasticity of demand and supply for bicycles in Berlin between price ranges. - Calculating price elasticity of demand for movie tickets for adults and students as prices change. 2. It also discusses: - Calculating cross-price elasticity for various goods to determine if they are substitutes or complements. - Calculating price elasticity of demand and income elasticity of demand using different price and income levels. - Explaining the likely cross-price elasticity between rice and noodles, and electricity and electric stoves.

Uploaded by

linh le
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

TUTORIAL 3

Topic: Elasticity of Demand and Supply


1. The local video store had been hiring out videos at €2 each. On average, 1800
videos were hired per week. In response to an increase in running costs, the store
has increased the video hire to €2.50, resulting in the typical number of videos
hired per week falling to 1250.

Calculate and interpret the price elasticity of demand for this store’s video hire
using averaging method.

2. Assume the number of bicycles demanded and supplied in Berlin, at various


prices, is as follows:

Price of bicycle Quantity demanded per year Quantity supplied per year
(€) (‘000) (‘000)
60 23 11
80 20 16
100 17 21
120 14 26

a. Calculate the price elasticity of demand and supply between the prices €80
and €100, and interpret your answer.

b. Is the demand for and supply of bicycles elastic or inelastic over this price
range?

3. Suppose that adults and students have the following demand for movie tickets at
Megastar Cineplex:

Price of ticket Quantity demanded Quantity demanded


($) (adults) (students)
15 2,100 1,000
20 2,000 800
25 1,900 600
30 1,800 400

a. As the price of movie tickets rises from $20 to $25, what is the price
elasticity of demand for i) adults and ii) students? (Using the
midpoint/averaging method in your calculation.)

b. Why might adults have different elasticity from students?


4. Calculate the cross-price elasticity for the following goods. Are they substitutes
or complements?

a. The price of movie theater tickets goes up by 10% causing the quantity
demanded for video rentals to go up by 4%

b. Computer prices fall by 20% causing the quantity of software demanded to


increase by 15%

c. The price of apples falls by 5% causing the quantity of oranges demanded to


fall by 5%

d. The price of ice-cream falls by 6% causing the quantity demanded of frozen


yogurt to fall by 1%

5. Suppose that your demand schedule for CD is as follows:

Price Quantity demanded Quantity demanded


(€) (income = €10,000) (income = €12,000)
8 40 50
10 32 45
12 24 30
14 16 20
16 8 12

a. Use the midpoint method to calculate your price elasticity of demand as the
price of CD increases from €8 to €10 if i) your income is €10,000 and ii)
your income is €12,000

b. Calculate your income elasticity of demand as your income increases from


€10,000 to €12,000 if i) the price is €12 ii) the price is €16

6. Explain the likely cross-price elasticity of demand between the following


products
a. Rice and noodles

b. Electricity and electric stoves

Multiple choices
7. The price elasticity of demand:

a. indicates how far consumer can stretch their budgets


b. measures how much price rises when demand increases
c. measure how much quantity demanded responds to a change in price
d. indicates whether a good is “normal” or “inferior”

8. As prices increase by 1 percent, quantity supplied increases by 2%. This means:

a. supply is elastic
b. supply is inelastic
c. supply is unit-elastic
d. the firm is operating in its market period

9. Which of the following is correct?

a. Slope and elasticity are identical concepts


b. Slope measures percentage change in quantity divided by percentage
change in price, elasticity does the opposite
c. Elasticity measures percentage change in price divided by a percentage
change in quantity
d. Slope and elasticity are closely related

10. The income elasticity determines whether goods are:

a. normal or inferior
b. elastic or inelastic
c. individual or collective
d. substitutes or complements

11. The midpoint method of calculating price elasticity:

a. calculates elasticity by dividing the change by the midpoint of the initial


and final levels
b. corrects a problem that causes the elasticity from A to B to be different
from the elasticity from point B to point A
c. gives the same answer regardless of the direction of change
d. All of the above are true

12. As one moves downward along a straight-line demand curve, price elasticity:
a. declines
b. rises
c. remains constant
d. declines at first, then rises

13. If the price of one dozen eggs increases from €1.6 to €2, quantity demanded will
decrease from 600 to 400. The elasticity of demand for eggs (using midpoint
formula) is:

a. 0.08
b. 1.8
c. 11.26
d. 1.9

Common questions

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A business can use elasticity information to understand consumer sensitivity to price changes. For instance, the demand for video hires decreased from 1800 to 1250 when prices increased from €2 to €2.50, showing a significant elasticity response . By calculating the elasticity, the business can better predict how future price changes might affect demand and revenue, enabling them to adjust pricing strategies accordingly to maximize profits or market share. Additionally, identifying inelastic demand ensures minimal revenue loss upon price increases.

Cross-price elasticity aids businesses in identifying whether goods are substitutes or complements, crucial for strategic planning. By analyzing positive cross-price elasticity, businesses can identify potential competitors and adjust strategies, such as differentiating products or competitive pricing to capture market share. Negative cross-price elasticity suggests complementary products, allowing for collaborative strategies, like bundling products to enhance consumer value and capitalize on joint demand patterns. This strategic insight supports informed decisions in marketing, promotions, and partnership opportunities .

Analyzing elasticity in this price range reveals insights into both consumer and producer behaviors. If demand is more elastic than supply, consumers are more sensitive to price changes, indicating competitive pricing pressures. Conversely, if supply is more elastic, producers can adapt more quickly to price changes, stabilizing supply availability. In the case where price increases from €80 to €100 show demand and supply elasticity as similar, it suggests a market balance where both consumers and suppliers exhibit comparable responsiveness, thus stabilizing price levels despite changes .

Understanding the price elasticity of demand helps a company anticipate the potential impact on sales volume and revenue from a price increase. If demand is elastic, a price increase might lead to a significant drop in quantity demanded, reducing overall revenue. Conversely, if demand is inelastic, the same price hike could result in higher total revenue due to minimal changes in the quantity demanded. This understanding aids in risk assessment and decision-making, ensuring that any price increase aligns with market behavior and revenue objectives .

Differences in price elasticity of demand for movie tickets between adults and students may be attributed to varying income levels and priorities. Students typically have lower disposable incomes, making them more price-sensitive and elastic. In contrast, adults may have higher incomes and different consumption habits or preferences, making their demand less elastic. Such distinctions underline how demographic factors and budget constraints influence elasticity, shaping product targeting and pricing strategies in segmented markets .

When prices increase by 1 percent and the quantity supplied increases by 2 percent, the elasticity of supply is calculated as 2. This indicates that the supply is elastic, meaning suppliers are relatively responsive to price changes. Elastic supply suggests that producers can adjust production levels quickly in response to price changes, which can impact market dynamics by stabilizing prices during demand fluctuations .

Calculating price elasticity of demand using the midpoint method allows for a more accurate measure by averaging the initial and final quantities and prices. This method provides a consistent elasticity value regardless of the direction of the change, unlike the basic formula which can result in different elasticity values depending on whether price increases or decreases. This approach helps avoid interpretational errors when assessing consumer responsiveness to price changes, offering a balanced perspective .

Cross-price elasticity of demand measures the responsiveness of the quantity demanded for one good when the price of another good changes. Positive cross-price elasticity suggests that the two goods are substitutes—as the price of one increases, the demand for the other increases. For example, a 10% increase in movie theater tickets causing a 4% increase in video rentals indicates they are substitutes . Conversely, a negative cross-price elasticity indicates complements—e.g., a 20% decrease in computer prices leading to a 15% increase in software demand illustrates complementary goods .

Income elasticity of demand indicates how the quantity demanded of a good changes as consumer income changes. A positive income elasticity suggests a normal good, where demand increases with higher income. Conversely, a negative elasticity indicates an inferior good, where demand decreases as income rises . For marketers, understanding income elasticity helps segment the market and tailor offerings. For example, luxury goods typically have high positive income elasticities, guiding strategies for targeting affluent consumers or adjusting product lines as economic conditions shift.

The midpoint method calculates elasticity by averaging the initial and final quantities and prices, thus providing a consistent elasticity value that is independent of whether the calculation begins from a higher or lower price point. This eliminates directional bias, ensuring symmetric elasticity regardless of whether assessing a price increase or decrease . The benefit of this method is its consistency in assessing consumer response to price changes. However, its limitation is the assumption that changes are linear and uniform, which may not always reflect real-world complexities.

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