Supply and Demand

 

Value and Cost

n    Value – what the buyer thinks the product is worth

n    Cost – what the seller must pay to produce and market the product

n    Both terms include opportunity cost (what could I do instead?)

 

Price

n    Offering price – the seller tags a good at a dollar amount at which he wants to sell

n    Actual price – the agreed upon dollar amount the buyer will pay the seller

 

Deal? … or No Deal?

n    Buyer’s value > price…

n    … and price > seller’s cost? DEAL!

n    Buyer’s value < price? NO DEAL!

n    Price < seller’s cost? NO DEAL!

 

What Sets the (actual) Price?

n    The interaction of:

n    buyers’ behavior (law of demand) and

n    sellers’ behavior (law of supply).

 

Demand

n     The willingness and ability of buyers to purchase different quantities of a good at different prices during a specific time period.

 

 

Demand

n    For any good:

n    as price (P) rises, the quantity demanded (Qd) falls.

n    as the price (P) falls, the quantity demanded (Qd) rises.

n    P and Qd are inversely related.

n    The demand curve is downward sloping.

 

Law of Demand (add diagram)

P rise   Q fall

P fall    Q rise

                Schedule                   Graph

                  P    Q

                10     2

                  6     6

                  3    11

                  1    14

 

Demand and Quantity Demanded: The Difference

n    When the word is used alone, demand is the behavior pattern of buyers. It is an attitude.

n    In contrast, quantity demanded is an amount. There is one particular Qd for each P.

 

Why does the Demand Curve Slope Downward?

n    Two reasons:

n    At higher prices, your current income can’t buy as much.

n    Diminishing Marginal Utility: the next one you buy is not as useful to you (MB is lower) as the first one, so it has to be at a lower price (MC is lower) for you to buy it.

 

Major Factors that Set Demand Behavior

n    Income

n    Preferences

n    Number of Buyers

 

Major Factors that Set Demand Behavior

n    If any of these factors change, demand behavior changes.

n    A demand behavior change is shown by shifting the demand curve.

n    Increase in demand: shift the curve to the right.

n    Decrease in demand: shift the curve left.

 

Shifting Demand

n    Demand increases (shift right) when:

n    income increases

n    preferences increase

n    number of buyers increase

n    Qd increases for each possible P

 

Shifting Demand

n    Demand decreases (shift left) when:

n    income decreases

n    preferences decrease

n    number of buyers decrease

n    Qd decreases for each possible P

 

 

 

 

 

Does A Changing Price Shift the Demand Curve?

n    A change in the price DOES NOT shift the demand curve.

n    However:

n    raise the price and quantity demanded falls.

n    lower the price and quantity demanded rises.

 

Change in Demand and Change in Quantity Demanded (diagram)

 

Supply

n     The willingness and ability of sellers to produce and offer to sell different quantities of a good at different prices during a specific time period.

 

Supply

n    For any good:

n    as price (P) rises, the quantity supplied (Qs) rises.

n    as the price (P) falls, the quantity supplied (Qs) falls.

n    P and Qs are directly related.

n    The supply curve is upward sloping.

 

Law of Supply (add diagram)

P rise    Q rise

P falls    Q falls

                Schedule                   Graph

                  P    Q

                10    12

                  6     8

                  3     4

                  1      1

Supply and Quantity Supplied: The Difference

n    When the word is used alone, supply is the behavior pattern of sellers. It is an attitude.

n    In contrast, quantity supplied is an amount. There is a particular Qs for each P.

 

Change in Supply and a Change in Quantity Supplied (add diagram)

 

Major Factors that Set Supply Behavior

n    Business Costs

n    Resource costs

n    Taxes

n    Regulatory costs

n    Technology

n    Number of Sellers

 

Major Factors that Set Supply Behavior

n    If any of these factors change, supply behavior changes.

n    This type of change is shown by shifting the supply curve.

n    Increase in supply: shift the curve to the right.

n    Decrease in supply: shift the curve left.

 

Shifting Supply

n    Supply increases (shift right) when:

n    costs decrease

n    new technology in implemented

n    number of sellers increase

n    Qs increases for each possible P

Shifting Supply

n    Supply decreases (shift left) when:

n    costs increase

n    obsolescence sets in

n    number of sellers decrease

n    Qs decreases for each possible P

 

Does a Changing Price Shift the Supply Curve?

n    A change in the price DOES NOT shift the supply curve.

n    However:

n    raise the price and quantity supplied rises.

n    lower the price and quantity supplied falls.

 

Making a Market

A market is an interaction of buyers and sellers.

n     Buyer behavior

 (the demand curve) and seller behavior (the supply curve) intersect.

 

Making a Market

n    Three possibilities exist:

n    Surplus (supply exceeds demand)

n   Qs > Qd

n    Equilibrium (supply equals demand)

n   Qs = Qd

n    Shortage (demand exceeds supply)

n   Qs < Qd

 

Surplus (diagram)

n    Supply exceeds demand.

n    Price is too high, so Qs is large and Qd is small. (Qs>Qd)

n    Unhappy sellers lower prices.

n    Qs decreases and Qd increases

n    Until Qs = Qd

n    Equilibrium is reached

 

Surplus

n     Price is too high.

n     Quantity supplied (Qs) exceeds quantity    demanded (Qd).

n     Qs > Qd

n     Price will fall to Pe.

 

Shortage (diagram)

n    Demand exceeds supply.

n    Price is too low, so Qd is large and Qs is small. (Qd>Qs)

n    Unhappy buyers bid up prices.

n    Qs increases and Qd decreases

n    Until Qs = Qd

n    Equilibrium is reached

 

Shortage

n     Price is too low.

n     Quantity demanded (Qd) exceeds quantity supplied (Qs)

n     Qd > Qs

n     Price will rise to Pe.

 

Equilibrium (diagram)

n    Price is neither too high nor too low.

n    Supply equals demand

n    Qs = Qd

n    Prices will not rise or fall until either demand behavior or supply behavior changes.

 

Equilibrium

n     No shortage.

n     No surplus.

n     Qd = Qs = Qe.

n     The price will not rise or fall until  there is a shift in demand or in supply.

 

Increasing Demand

n    Demand curve shifts right.

n    Equilibrium is upset.

n    At the old equilibrium price, a shortage is created.

n    The shortage triggers rising prices.

n    New equilibrium is reached at a higher price and a larger quantity.

 

Demand increases (diagram)

n     Demand shifts  right.

n     Old equilibrium is upset: Shortage.

n     A new equilibrium   is established.

n     Price rises from P1  to P2.

n     Quantity rises from Q1 to Q2

 

Decreasing Demand

n    Demand curve shifts left.

n    Equilibrium is upset.

n    At the old equilibrium price, a surplus is created.

n    The surplus triggers falling prices.

n    New equilibrium is reached at a lower price and a smaller quantity.

 

Demand decreases (diagram)

n     Demand shifts left.

n     Old equilibrium is upset: Surplus.

n     A new equilibrium   is established.

n     Price falls from P1   to P2.

n     Quantity falls from Q1 to Q2

 

Increasing Supply

n    Supply curve shifts right.

n    Equilibrium is upset.

n    At the old equilibrium price, a surplus is created.

n    The surplus triggers falling prices.

n    New equilibrium is reached at a lower price and a larger quantity.

 

Supply increases (diagram)

n     Supply shifts right.

n     Old equilibrium is upset: Surplus.

n     A new equilibrium   is established.

n     Price falls from P1   to P2.

n     Quantity rises from Q1 to Q2.

 

Decreasing Supply

n    Supply curve shifts left.

n    Equilibrium is upset.

n    At the old equilibrium price, a shortage is created.

n    The shortage triggers rising prices.

n    New equilibrium is reached at a higher price and a smaller quantity.

 

Supply decreases (diagram)

n     Supply shifts left.

n     Old equilibrium is upset: Shortage.

n     A new equilibrium   is established.

n     Price rises from P1  to P2.

n     Quantity falls from Q1 to Q2.

 

When do prices change?

n    Prices change only when a market is in disequilibrium

n    Shortage? Price rises

n    Surplus? Price falls

n    A shift in either demand or supply causes the price to change, BUT….

n    A price change does NOT cause

n    the demand curve to shift, or

n    the supply curve to shift

 

Another Look at Market Equilibrium (diagram)

n     For each buyer, the demand curve shows his valuation of a good (his MB).

n    His MC is the price.

n     For each seller, the supply curve shows is production costs (his MC).

n    His MB is the price.

 

Consumer Surplus

n    This is how much better off buyers are having bought the good.

n    = MB – P

n    = the area below the demand curve and above the equilibrium price.

 

Consumer Surplus (diagram)

 

Producer Surplus

n    This is how much better off sellers are having sold the good.

n    = P - MC

n    = the area below the equilibrium price and above the supply curve.

 

Producer Surplus (diagram)

 

Betterment of Society

n    Three groups in society:

n    Buyers – better off by consumer surplus

n    Sellers – better off by producer surplus

n    Everyone else – neither better nor worse off

n    Total society betterment due to trade equals consumer surplus plus producer surplus.

 

Society is Better Off (diagram)

 

Price Controls

n    Government intervenes in a market to restrict the movement of price.

n    Affected market cannot reach equilibrium.

n    Two kinds:

n    Price Ceiling

n    Price Floor

 

Price Ceiling

n    Government mandated a maximum price below equilibrium.

n    Purpose: to help low income buyers

n    Consequence: permanent shortage

 

Price ceiling (diagram)

n    Government sets a maximum legal price

n    P < Pe

n    Persistent shortage

n   Qd – Qs

 

Price Floor

n    Government mandated a minimum price above equilibrium.

n    Purpose: to help low income sellers

n    Consequence: permanent surplus

 

Price floor (diagram)

n    Government sets a minimum legal price

n    P > Pe

n    Persistent surplus

n   Qs – Qd

 

Activity

n    Government has set a price ceiling on apartments.

n    This generates a shortage.

n    What rationing device should be used?

n    First come first served

n    Draw numbers

n    Favoritism

 

Consequences

n    Price floors and price ceilings:

n    Both cause fewer wants and needs to be satisfied

n    Both cause a waste of resources

n    Neither do much good for the intended group

n    Black markets develop

Black market

n    Illegal buying and selling

n    Despite the legislation, demand and supply behaviors still exist