ECON 2005 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Normal Good, Demand Curve, Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research

Discussion #1

The law of demand states that a fall in the price of a good raises the quantity demanded, and the increase in price leads to a decrease in quantity demanded. The price elasticity of demand measures the responsiveness of the quantity demanded to a change in price. Demand for a good is said to be elastic if the quantity demanded responds substantially to changes in the price, and the percentage change in quantity demanded is greater than the percentage change in price. Demand is said to be inelastic if the quantity demanded responds only slightly to changes in the price, which indicates that the percentage in price is greater than the percentage in quantity demanded.

However, the extent of responsiveness of quantity demanded to a change in price depends on the nature of a particular good or service in the market. The price elasticity of demand partly depends on the availability of close substitutes. When a large number of substitutes are available, consumers respond to a higher price of a good by buying more of the substitute goods and less of the relatively more expensive good. In addition, goods or services that are considered necessities tend to have less elastic (more inelastic) demand, whereas goods or services that are considered luxuries have more elastic (less inelastic) demands.

• Explain why the demand for the good or service provided by the organization you work for is elastic or inelastic. How does this influence pricing decisions?
• Provide examples on how the availability of close substitutes affects price elasticity of demand.
• Give specific examples of necessities or luxuries, and explain how they affect price elasticity of goods or services.

Please answer ALL bulletins and place the answers under the correct bulletin.

1. Suppose that a 10% increase in the wage results in a 5% reduction in employment. In this case, labor demand is said to be:

A. elastic

B. inelastic

C. unit elastic

2. Which of the following best explains why elasticity varies along a linear demand curve?

A. As the quantity of labor demanded rises, the percentage change in quantity demanded declines (for a given change in labor use) while the percentage change in wage increases.

B. As the quantity of labor demanded rises, the percentage change in quantity demanded rises (for a given change in labor use) as does the percentage change in the wage.

C. As the quantity of labor demanded rises, the percentage change in quantity demanded declines (for a given change in labor use) as does the percentage change in the wage.

D. As the quantity of labor demanded rises, the percentage change in quantity demanded declines (for a given change in labor use) while the percentage change in wage decreases

3. Labor demand is more elastic when:

A. the substitution effect resulting from a wage change is larger

B. the scale effect resulting from a wage change is larger

C. both are correct

D. none of the above

4. The scale effect associated with a change in the wage is larger when:

A. the demand for the final product is more elastic

B. labor costs are a smaller share of total costs

C. there are many close substitutes for this category of labor

D. economics of scale are present in the production of the good

5. The price elasticity of demand for the final products affects the own-wage elasticity of demand for labor by affecting the magnitude of:

A. the substitution effect that occurs in the labor market

B. the scale effect that occurs in the labor market

C. both substitution and scale effects

D. neither substitution nor scale effects

6. Unions are expected to attempt to:

A. make it more difficult to replace labor with other resources

B. reduce the elasticity of demand for the final product

C. support laws that reduce the elasticity of supply of other resources

D. all of the above.

E. none of the above

7. Unions are likely to be less successful in negotiating higher wages in those labor markets in which:

A. the demand for the final product is more elastic

B. there are few close substitutes for union workers

C. the price elasticity of supply for other factors of production is relatively high

D. labor costs comprise a small share of total costs

1. The concept of price elasticity of demand measures:

a. the slope of the demand curve.

b. the number of buyers in a market.

c. the extent to which the demand curve shifts as the result of a price decline.

d. the sensitiveness of quantities demanded to price changes.

2. When the percentage change in price is less than the resulting percentage change in quantity demanded:

a. demand is elastic.

b. demand is inelastic.

c. demand is unit elastic.

d. none of the above.

3. The elasticity of demand:

a. will be the same at each price-quantity combination on a stable demand curve.

b. tends to be elastic in high-price ranges and inelastic in low-price ranges.

c. tends to be inelastic in high-price ranges and elastic in low-price ranges.

d. is infinitely large for a perfectly inelastic demand curve.

4. Suppose that as the price of Y falls from $2.00 to $1.80 the quantity of Y demanded increases from 110 to 121. It can be concluded that the price elasticity of demand is: _______.

5. Total revenue rises as the price of a good increases if price elasticity of demand is:

a. unitary elastic

b. perfectly inelastic.

6. The demand for such products as salt, bread, and electricity tend to be:

a. relatively price elastic.

b. relatively price inelastic.

c. of unit price elasticity.

d. perfectly price elastic.