Law of Demand
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Transcript of Law of Demand
Law of Demand
What Is the Law of Demand?
Demand: a relation showing the quantities of a good that consumers are willing and able to buy at various prices per period, other things constant.
The Law of Demand states that consumers buy more of a good when its price decreases and less when its price increases.
The law of demand is the result of two separate
behavior patterns that overlap, the substitution effect and the income effect.
Other-Things-Constant Ceteris paribus or “other things
constant” Assumed the “other things” to remain
constant are the prices of other goods.
The Substitution Effect & Income Effect
The Substitution Effect• The substitution effect occurs when consumers
react to an increase in a good’s price by consuming less of that good and more of other goods.
• Example: if the price of pizza drops and the price of other goods remains the constant, pizza becomes relatively cheaper. People tend to substitute pizza for other goods and vice versa.
The change in the relative price – the price of one good relative to the prices of other goods – causes the substitution effect.
The Substitution & Income Effect
The Income Effect• The income effect happens when a person
changes his or her consumption of goods and services as a result of a change in real income.
• Example: income effect of a price change Income remains consistent but price of pizza
drops – how many more pizzas can you buy?
Marginal Utility Marginal Utility: the change in total utility
resulting in a one-unit change in consumption of a good.
OR… the satisfaction you derive from an additional unit of a product is called your marginal utility.
• Example: Pizza
Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility• The more of a good a person consumes per period, the
smaller the increase in total utility from consuming one more unit, other things constant.
How Funny is Charlie? Create the following
table in your notes Each time we watch
the video, rate 0-10 your enjoyment of the video.
0 is the lowest score 10 is the highest
score
# of times “Charlie” is
viewed
Total Utility
Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility
The law of diminishing marginal utility helps explain why people buy more when the price decreases.
A person will increase consumption as long as the marginal benefit you expect exceeds the price.
Economics Bell Ringer: Turn in your homework from last night to the
class period tray.
Reflect on the Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility and answer the following questions based on what you know! 1. Why are newspapers sold in vending machines that
allow you to take more than one copy?2. How much do you eat when you can eat all you want?3. What cures spring fever?4. What economic principle is behind the saying “been
there, done that?” Why?