Label each of the following scenarios with the set of symbols that best indicates the price change and quantity change that occur in the scenario. In some scenarios, it may not be possible from the information given to determine the direction of a particular price change or a particular quantity change. We will symbolize those cases as, respectively, “P?” and “Q?” The four possible combinations of price and quantity changes are:

A. P↓ Q? P? Q↓

B. P↑Q? P? Q↑

c. On a hot day, both the demand for lemonade and the supply of lemonade increase.

d. On a cold day, both the demand for ice cream and the supply of ice cream decrease.

e. When Hawaii’s Mt. Kilauea erupts violently, tourists’ demand for sightseeing flights increases, but the supply of pilots willing to provide these dangerous flights decreases.

f. In a hot area of Arizona where a lot of electricity is generated with wind turbines, the demand for electricity falls on windy days as people switch off their air conditioners and enjoy the breeze. But at the same time, the amount of electricity supplied increases as the wind turbines spin faster.

Short Answer

Expert verified

c. P? Q↑

d. P? Q↓

e. P↑Q?

f.P↓ Q?

Step by step solution

01

Relative shifts of demand and supply curves in part (c)

An increase in the demand and supply of lemonade will shift the demand and supply curves to the right, which is depicted below:

The effect on price and quantity is explained below:

  • If the relative shift in the supply curve(S1toS2) is less than the shift in the demand curve (D1toD2), the equilibrium price will increase (P1<P2)

  • If this relative shift is nearly the same (S1toS3), the equilibrium price will be the same (P1=P3).

  • If the said supply curve shift is more than the demand curve (S1toS4), equilibrium price will decrease (P4<P1). Hence, the effect on price is unknown.

The effect on equilibrium quantity is clear, that is, it will increase (Q1<Q2<Q3<Q4). Thus, the quantity will increase in any case, but the effect on the equilibrium price is unknown.

02

Relative shifts of demand and supply curves in part (d)

A decrease in demand and supply of ice cream will shift the demand and supply curves, respectively, to the left. This is shown in the diagram below:

The effect on price and quantity is explained below:

  • If the relative shift in the supply curve(S1toS2) is less than the shift in the demand curve (D1toD2), the equilibrium price will decrease (P1>P2).

  • If this relative shift is nearly the same (S1toS3), the equilibrium price will be the same (P1=P3).

  • If the said supply curve shift is more than the demand curve (S1toS4), equilibrium price will increase (P4>P1). Hence, the effect on price is unknown.

The effect on equilibrium quantity is certain, that is, it is decreasing (Q1>Q2>Q3>Q4), but the effect on the equilibrium price is unknown.

03

Relative shifts of demand and supply curves in part (e)

As shown in the diagram, an increase in tourists’ demands for sightseeing flights will shift the demand curve forward (from D1toD2). A decrease in the supply of pilots for sightseeing flights will shift the supply curve backward.

The effect on price and quantity is explained below:

  • If the relative shift in the supply curve(S1toS2) is less than the shift in the demand curve (D1toD2), the equilibrium quantity will increase (Q1<Q2).

  • If this relative shift is nearly the same (S1toS3), the equilibrium quantity will be the same (Q1=Q3).

  • If the said supply curve shift is more than the demand curve (S1toS4), equilibrium quantity will decrease (Q4<Q1). Hence, the effect on quantity is unknown.

Hence, the effect on quantity is unknown, while the price increase is certain (P1<P2<P3<P4).

04

Relative shifts in part (f)

Consider the below diagram. The demand for electricity falls, which will shift the demand curve backward (D1toD2). An increase in the supply of electricity will shift the supply curve forward.

The effect on price and quantity is explained below:

  • If the relative shift in the supply curve(S1toS2) is less than the shift in the demand curve (D1toD2), the equilibrium quantity will fall (Q1>Q2).

  • If this relative shift is nearly the same (S1toS3), the equilibrium quantity will be the same (Q1=Q3).

  • If the said supply curve shift is more than the demand curve (S1toS4), the equilibrium quantity will increase (Q1<Q4). Hence, the effect on quantity is unknown.

Hence, the effect on quantity is unknown. However, the price decrease is certain(P1>P2>P3>P4).

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Most popular questions from this chapter

In 2001, an outbreak of hoof-and-mouth disease in Europe led to the burning of millions of cattle carcasses. What impact would you expect on the supply of cattle hides, hide prices, the supply of leather goods, and the price of leather goods? Explain.

What effect will each of the following have on the supply of auto tires?

a. A technological advance in the methods of producing tires

b. A decline in the number of firms in the tire industry

c. An increase in the price of rubber used in the production of tires

d. The expectation that the equilibrium price of auto tires will be lower in the future than it is now

e. A decline in the price of the large tires used for semi-trucks and earth-hauling rigs (with no change in the price of auto tires)

f. The levying of a per-unit tax on each auto tire sold

g. The granting of a 50-cent-per-unit subsidy for each auto tire produced

What do economists mean when they say, “Price floors and ceilings stifle the rationing function of prices and distort resource allocation?”

Suppose that the demand and supply schedules for rental apartments in the city of Gotham are as given in the following table.

a. What is the market equilibrium rental price per month and the market equilibrium number of apartments demanded and supplied?

b. If the local government can enforce a rent-control law that sets the maximum monthly rent at \(1,500, will there be a surplus or a shortage? Of how many units? How many units will actually be rented each month?

c. Suppose that a new government is elected that wants to keep out the poor. It declares that the minimum rent that landlords can charge is \)2,500 per month. If the government can enforce that price floor, will there be a surplus or a shortage? Of how many units? And how many units will actually be rented each month?

d. Suppose that the government wishes to decrease the market equilibrium monthly rent by increasing the supply of housing. Assuming that demand remains unchanged, how many additional units of housing would the government need to supply to get the market equilibrium rental price to fall to \(1,500 per month? To \)1,000 per month?To \(500 per month?

Monthly Rent (\))
Apartments Demanded
Apartment Supplied
2,50010,00015,000
2,00012,50012,500
1,50015,00010,000
1,00017,5007,500
50020,0005,000

For each stock in the stock market, the number of shares sold daily equals the number of shares purchased. That is, the quantity of each firm’s shares demanded equals the quantity supplied. Why then do the prices of stock shares change?

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