CHAPTER 3

BASIC ELEMENTS OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND

I. CHAPTER OVERVIEW

This chapter lays the foundation for the rest of your course by describing the interaction between buyers and
sellers in a market economy. Properly framed, almost any economic question can be approached from a supply-
and-demand perspective; because resources are limited but wants are unlimited, the magic of the market is to
direct signals between people who are looking to consume and people who are looking to produce. Our
implicit assumption is that prices carry this information between buyers and sellers, and hence prices are
discussed as the most important factor determining behavior on both sides of the market.

II. LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After you have read Chapter 3 in your text and completed the exercises in this Study Guide chapter, you should
be able to:
1. Define demand in a market using words, tables, and diagrams.
2. Illustrate the shifts in demand caused by changes in factors other than price that influence a
consumer’s willingness to purchase.
3. Explain the difference between changes in demand and changes in quantity demanded.
4. Define supply in a market using words, tables, and diagrams.
5. Illustrate the shifts in supply caused by changes in factors other than price that influence a firm’s
willingness to produce and sell.
6. Explain the difference between changes in supply and changes in quantity supplied.
7. Use the concepts of shortages and surpluses to illustrate the natural tendency of a market to move
toward equilibrium.
8. Show the effects of shifts in supply or demand using diagrams.

III. REVIEW OF KEY CONCEPTS

Match the following terms from column A with their definitions in column B.
A B
__ Effective demand 1. One explanation for increase in labor supply.
__ Increase in supply 2. A factor other than price that changes supply.
__ Consumer income 3. A factor other than price that changes demand.
__ Technology 4. One reason why we have an upward-sloping supply curve.
__ Prices of 5. The quantities of a good demanded per unit of time at alternative
substitutes prices, all else being fixed.
__ Immigration 6. An increase in this factor will shift demand to the right.
__ The laws of 7. The price and quantity at which there is no surplus or
diminishing returns shortage.
__ Equilibrium level of 8. Occurs when the price of a product falls.
__ Surplus 9. Occurs when the quantity supplied is greater than the quantity demanded.
__ Decrease in 10. The recent explosion of computer technology has caused this.
quantity supplied

IV. SUMMARY AND CHAPTER OUTLINE

This section summarizes the key concepts from the chapter.

 46

Many forces can operate to push the observed price of any given commodity higher or lower: changes in
people’s tastes, changes in their incomes, changes in the costs of production, changes in the prices of substitute
products, changes in government policy, etc. For example, the price of tickets to see a Grateful Dead concert
might fall if their music becomes less popular, if the incomes of music lovers fall, if the price of guitars
doubles, if the price of Rolling Stones concerts falls, or if the government decides to place taxes on concert
tickets.
In order to assess the impact of any of these single events, we need to divide these forces into two groups:
those that have their initial impact on the demand side of the market and those that have their initial impact on
the supply side of the market.

A. The Demand Schedule

1. When economists refer to the law of downward-sloping demand, they are speaking of a particular kind of
behavior among buyers that is observed with so few exceptions that it can be designated as a “law” of behavior.
2. It is essential to keep in mind that a demand curve is a conditional schedule; it answers an “if this, then
that” type of question. It shows, in particular, that if the price of some good were to stand at some specified
level, then consumers would be willing to purchase the indicated quantity.
3. The quantity of a good or service that is read from a demand curve does not depend at all upon whether or
not that quantity is feasible to supply at the given price. It reflects only the desires of consumers who worry
only about their own preferences and what they can afford.
4. Remember that price is not the only factor that influences consumers’ decisions to buy. Average income,
number of buyers, price and availability of related goods, and tastes and preferences all define the behavior of
buyers in markets. Any changes in these factors will cause the demand curve to shift.

B. The Supply Curve

1. The supply schedule (and supply curve) for a commodity shows the relationship between its market price
and the amount of that commodity that producers are willing to produce and sell, other things being held equal.
2. The quantity of a good or service that is read from a supply curve does not depend upon whether or not
people want to buy that much. It reflects only the ambitions of suppliers who worry only about their costs and
their anticipated profits (given the quoted price).
3. Technology, input prices, prices of related goods, and government policy all define the behavior of sellers.
Thus, changes in any of these factors will cause the supply curve to shift.

C. Equilibrium of Supply and Demand

1. The division between buyers and sellers is nearly absolute. In all but a very few exceptional cases,
economic forces directly influence either the demand side of a market or the supply side of a market, but not
both.
2. Market-clearing equilibrium prices are achieved when the quantity supplied matches the quantity
demanded.
3. When the quantity demanded exceeds the quantity supplied, the resulting shortage pushes the price up
toward equilibrium. On the other hand, when the quantity demanded is less than the quantity supplied, the
resulting surplus pushes the price down.
4. When we draw demand and supply schedules, we are defining a relationship between quantities demanded
or supplied and the relative price of the product. When relative prices change, consumers or producers change
their behavior along the demand and supply curves. Demand and supply curves shift only when a factor other
than the own-price of the product has changed.

V. HELPFUL HINTS

Understanding demand-and-supply diagrams is crucial to understanding how a market economy operates.

Simply memorizing all the movements and shifts in curves that can be applied to different market situations
does not work well. For your part as a student, it takes thoughtfulness and practice. Nevertheless, there are
several guidelines that can help you in your study of markets.
l. Whenever you are confronted with a supply and demand problem (even in a multiple choice or true/false
problem), draw the appropriate diagram and use it to illustrate the changes that you anticipate in the market.
The discipline of envisioning the graph will help you keep track of what is changing and what is staying the
same, first on the demand side and second on the supply side. You will find it easier to avoid errors caused by
confusing changes in quantities demanded and supplied (movement along curves) with changes in demand and
supply (shifts of curves).
2. In any diagram, if a variable that is measured on one of the axes changes, the curve will not shift. You
simply move along the curve to measure the response to the change in the variable. For example, in demand-
 47

and-supply diagrams, price is measured along the vertical axis. According to this rule, if there is a change in
price, the curves will not shift. After all, in order to draw the demand and supply curves in the first place, we
had to know how much would be demanded or supplied at each price. If any other variable changes and it has
bearing on the market, then a curve will shift.
3. When demand and supply curves shift, think of these shifts in terms of left and right, rather than up or
down. Up usually implies there is more of something rather than less. However, when supply curves shift up,
less is being supplied at every price. To avoid this pitfall, think of shifts in terms of left and right.
4. When equilibrium is reached in a market, this means that the market clears; that is, all consumers who are
willing to pay the market price are able to find the product. Producers sell all they are willing to bring to
market at that price. Market equilibrium does not necessarily mean, however, that all consumers or producers
are completely satisfied with the equilibrium position. Some consumers may want to purchase the commodity
but may not be able to afford the market-clearing price. I may want to purchase an Infinity automobile, but I
am currently “priced out” of that market. Automobile manufacturers, on the other hand, may want to produce
more luxury automobiles but refrain from doing so because they think the established market price is too low.
5. Excess demand means the same thing as shortage.
6. Excess supply means the same thing as surplus.

VI. MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS

These questions are organized by topic from the chapter outline. Choose the best answer from the options
available.

A. The Demand Schedule

1. A demand curve for widgets shows:
a. how people’s spending patterns change as their income changes.
b. that people spend more money on widgets as the price of widgets increases.
c. the quantity of widgets that would be purchased per unit of time at each alternative price, holding
other factors influencing demand fixed.
d. that firms are willing to supply more output, per unit of time, as prices increase.
2. As the price of airline tickets increases, the:
a. demand for airline tickets increases.
b. supply of airline tickets decreases.
c. quantity of tickets demanded decreases.
d. quantity of tickets supplied decreases.
3. The law of downward-sloping demand holds that:
a. a surplus of goods will cause price to fall.
b. people normally buy more of a good as their incomes rise.
c. the quantity of a good that consumers willingly purchase increases as the price of the good falls.
d. the quantity of a good purchased will decrease as it goes out of style or is replaced by something of
better quality.
Use Figure 3-1 to answer questions 4 through 7.

Figure 3-1

4. A patient must purchase some exact quantity of a particular drug (no less, no more) and will pay any price
in order to obtain it. Which of the diagrams best illustrates this demand curve?
a. (a)
b. (b)
c. (c)
 48

d. (d)
5. The government declares that it is prepared to purchase any and all gold supplied to it by domestic gold
mines at a price of $410 an ounce. Which of the diagrams best illustrates this demand curve?
a. (a)
b. (b)
c. (c)
d. (d)
6. An increase in consumers’ money incomes prompts them to demand a greater quantity of good X at any
price. Which of the diagrams best illustrates this demand curve?
a. (a)
b. (b)
c. (c)
d. (d)
7. I can buy any amount of sugar in my local supermarket at a fixed price of 40 cents per pound. No matter
how much I buy, I always pay the same price per pound. Which of the diagrams best illustrates this
supply curve?
a. (a)
b. (b)
c. (c)
d. (d)
8. Any of the following could cause an increase in the demand for Wheaties except:
a. a decrease in the price of wheat used to produce cereal.
b. a new report from the Surgeon General suggesting that wheat helps to cure sunburns.
c. a picture of a popular sports figure, such as Michael Jordan, on the Wheaties box.
d. an increase in the price of a competing cereal, such as Cheerios.
9. Suppose that the demand curve for commodity X shifts to the left. One reasonable explanation for this
shift would be:
a. the supply of X has decreased for some reason.
b. the price of X has increased, so people have decided to buy less of it than they did before.
c. consumer tastes have shifted in favor of this commodity, and they want to buy more of it than they
did before at any given price.
d. the price of X has fallen, so people have decided to buy more of it than they did before.
e. none of these events.
10. Four of the five events described below might reasonably explain why the demand for beef has shifted to a
new position. Which one is not a suitable explanation?
a. The price of some good which consumers regard as a substitute for beef has risen.
b. The price of beef has fallen.
c. Money incomes of beef consumers have increased.
d. A widespread advertising campaign is undertaken by the producers of beef.
e. There is a change in people’s tastes with respect to beef.
11. When applied to the demand for commodity X the phrase “other things equal,” or “other things constant,”
means that:
a. the price of X is held constant.
b. both buyer incomes and the price of X are held constant.
c. buyer incomes, tastes, and the price of X are held constant.
d. all factors that might influence the demand for X including the price of X are held constant.
e. none of the above.
12. If IBM and Compaq computers are substitutes, a decrease in the price of IBM PCs will cause:
a. a decrease in the demand for Compaq computers.
b. an increase in the demand for IBM computers.
c. an increase in the supply of IBM computers.
d. an increase in the supply of Compaq computers.
13. The demand curve for a normal good will shift to the right if:
a. prices increase.
b. income increases.
c. cost of production increases.
d. none of the above.
 49

B. The Supply Curve

14. The supply curve describes:
a. an inverse relationship between price and quantity supplied.
b. a direct relationship between income and quantity supplied.
c. a cyclical relationship between consumption and savings.
d. a direct relationship between price and quantity supplied.
15. An increase in the cost of materials needed to produce snow skis causes the following change in the snow
ski market:
a. the demand curve shifts to the right.
b. the supply curve shifts to the left.
c. both the demand and supply curves shift to the left.
d. neither curve shifts.
16. Consider the producer who makes leather shoes and leather purses. An increase in the price of leather shoes
would cause:
a. a decrease in the supply of leather purses.
b. movement along the supply curve for purses.
c. a shift in the demand curve for leather shoes.
d. the supply curve for leather shoes and the supply curve for purses to shift to the left.
17. The demand for snowboards has increased recently as more people have taken up the sport. This will cause
the supply curve for snowboards to:
a. shift to the left.
b. shift to the right.
c. remain the same.
d. decrease next year.
18. Supply curves are typically “positively sloped.” The meaning conveyed by any such curve is that:
a. any increase in costs of production will result in a movement up along the supply curve.
b. the lower the price, the larger the supply that consumers are prepared to buy.
c. the higher the price, the larger the quantity suppliers will wish to sell.
d. the larger the quantity suppliers have to sell, the lower the price they will have to quote in order to
dispose of it.
e. none of the above.
19. Which of the following will not help to determine the position of the supply curve?
a. Technology
b. Resource costs.
c. Consumer income.
d. Government taxes.
20. An increase in the supply of commodity X for any given price of X could be caused by:
a. an increase in the price of X
b. an increase in the prices of factors of production important to this commodity.
c. a decrease in the prices of factors of production important to this commodity.
d. none of the above.

C. Equilibrium of Supply and Demand

21. Equilibrium in a market indicates:
a. the price at which quantity supplied equals quantity demanded.
b. that every buyer who wants to buy can buy at the equilibrium price, and every seller who wants to sell
can sell at the equilibrium price.
c. there is no tendency for price to change.
d. all of the above.
e. none of the above.
22. In prosperous times, both the equilibrium price and the quantity of some commodity X may go up
simultaneously. Such a situation:
a. is one of the few recognized exceptions to the law of downward-sloping demand.
b. is precisely what the law of downward-sloping demand says is to be expected.
c. is the consequence of a demand curve running from southwest to northeast.
d. cannot be explained by means of ordinary supply-curve and demand-curve analysis.
e. is caused by a rightward-shifting demand curve and a stable supply curve.
 50

23. Beef supplies are sharply reduced because of drought in the beef-raising states, and consumers turn to pork
as a substitute for beef because they believe there are health benefits. In the beef market, these two phenomena
would be described in terms of supply and demand as:
a. a leftward shift in the demand curve.
b. a leftward shift in the supply curve.
c. a rightward shift in the demand curve.
d. a rightward shift in the supply curve.
e. both the supply curve and the demand curve will shift to the left.
24. Which alternative in question 23 would be correct with respect to the events described had that question
asked about the pork market?
a. a leftward shift in the demand curve.
b. a leftward shift in the supply curve.
c. a rightward shift in the demand curve.
d. a rightward shift in the supply curve.
e. both the supply curve and the demand curve will shift to the left.
25. Let the initial price of a good be $5. If buyers wish to purchase 4000 units per week at that price while
sellers wish to sell 5000 units per week, then:
a. price will tend to increase in the future.
b. firm output will tend to increase in the future.
c. price and output will tend to remain the same in the future.
d. price will tend to decrease in the future.
e. something is wrong—this could not happen.
Figure 3-2 shows conditions in the market for home heating oil last year. The initial equilibrium position in
the market is shown by price Pl and quantity Ql . Please use the diagram to answer questions 24 and 25.

Figure 3-2

26. This winter has been unusually cold and snowy in the northeast, with a record number of snowstorms.
The new equilibrium in the market for home heating oil is best represented by point:
a. A.
b. B.
c. C.
d. D.
27. At the old equilibrium price, there now exists a(n):
a. shortage.
b. surplus.
c. equilibrium.
d. excess supply.
Table 3-1 contains data pertaining to the market for mountain bikes. Please use the data to answer questions 26
and 27.
TABLE 3-1
Quantity Supplied Quantity Demanded
Price (weekly) (weekly)
$100 1000 4000
200 2000 3500
300 3000 3000
400 4000 2500
500 5000 2000
 51

28. The equilibrium price in this market is:

a. $100.
b. $200.
c. $300.
d. $400.
29. The equilibrium quantity exchanged in this market is:
a. 2000 bikes.
b. 3000 bikes.
c. 4000 bikes.
d. 5000 bikes.
30. A recent Wall Street Journal article (6/24/93) details the increased popularity of “Doc Martens” shoes and
boots among college-aged students. This fad has had a big impact on the market for Reebok sneakers, a
substitute for Doc Martens. We would expect the equilibrium:
a. price of Reeboks to fall and the equilibrium quantity exchanged to increase.
b. price and quantity of Reeboks exchanged to increase.
c. price and quantity of Reeboks exchanged to decrease.
d. price of Reeboks to increase and the equilibrium quantity exchanged to decrease.
31. If consumer income increases for a normal good, the equilibrium price of that commodity will:
a. increase.
b. decrease.
c. stay the same.
d. not enough information to answer the question.

VII. PROBLEM SOLVING

The following problems are designed to help you to apply the concepts that you learned in this chapter.

1. For each of the following statements, put a T if the statement is true, an F if the statement is false, and a
U if you are uncertain about the validity of the statement.
A. The Demand Schedule
___ a. The substitution effect tells us that people will buy more as prices fall because their purchasing power
is increasing.
___ b. The demand for cars has increased in the past 50 years because the price has fallen.
___ c. When demand decreases, the price falls, so supply shifts to the left.

B. The Supply Curve

___ d. Over the past few years, the price of compact disc players has fallen, and at the same time firms are
supplying many more compact disc players. The law of supply is invalid in this case.
___ e. An improvement in technology will cause the supply curve to shift to the right.
___ f. If the price of Pepsi goes up, it is likely that the market supply curve for Coke will shift to the right.
___ g. If the wages of autoworkers increase, the supply of automobiles will shift to the left.

C. Equilibrium of Supply and Demand

___ h. Markets for goods are defined by the behavior of suppliers who determine prices and output levels.
___ i. If the actual price in a market is above the equilibrium price, we would expect to see downward pressure
on output and price.
___ j. In a market economy, goods are allocated by the price system to those people who can afford them.
2. Table 3-2 focuses on the factors that will shift either the demand curve or the supply curve. In each case,
determine which curve will shift, and write in demand or supply as appropriate; then write in whether the
shift will be to the right or the left. In addition, determine whether equilibrium price and output will be
higher or lower. The first case has been completed as an example.
 52

TABLE 3-2
Demand Left
or or Price Output
Shift Factor Supply Shifts Right Will Be Will Be
a. Population increases. demand shifts right higher higher
b. Input prices go up. _____ shifts ____ _____ _____
c. Tariffs are removed. _____ shifts ____ _____ _____
d. Average _____ shifts ____ _____ _____
income falls.
e. Technology improves. _____ shifts ____ _____ _____
f. Product becomes more
desirable/popular. _____ shifts ____ _____ _____

Figure 3-3

3. This problem deals with shifts in demand and supply curves. Figure 3-3 illustrates four different shifts in
demand or supply. Take a moment to consider each shift.
Table 3-3 considers changes that occur in seven different markets. Determine which diagram—(a), (b), (c),
or (d)—is most appropriate for each market. Then identify the specific shift factor that caused the curve to
shift. Finally, determine whether equilibrium price and output will be higher or lower. The first case has been
completed as an example.
 53

TABLE 3-3
Change Price Output
in Will Will
Market Diagram Shift Factor Be Be
a. Good X is clothing
that has gone out of style b change in taste shifts DD left lower lower
b. Pollution tax
on supplier ___ ______________________ _____ _____
c. Opening of market to
foreign buyers ___ ______________________ ________ ______
d. Price of substitute
good falls ___ ______________________ ________ ______
e. Market structure
requires more
advertising ___ ______________________ _______ ______
f. A 10%
across-the-board
income-tax cut ___ ______________________ ______ _______
g. Robot makes
production more
efficient ___ ______________________ _____ _____

4. This problem deals with the market for fish and the effect of a papal decree issued by Pope Paul VI in 1966
which gave local Catholic bishops the authority to allow Roman Catholics to eat meat on Fridays. We will
use hypothetical data to analyze the effect of the decree on the market for fish. (For a more accurate analysis see
Frederick W. Bell, “The Pope and the Market for Fish,” American Economic Review 58 [December 1968], pp.
1346-1350.)
Table 3-4 presents market data for the price per pound of codfish (measured in dollars) and the quantity
demanded and supplied at those prices (measured in thousands of pounds) . (For the time being, ignore the
column on the right labeled “New Quantity.”)
a. Every time the price of codfish decreases by 60 cents per pound, the quantity demanded increases by
.
b. Every time the price of codfish decreases by 60 cents per pound, the quantity supplied decreases by
.

TABLE 3-4
Quantity Quantity New
Price Demanded Supplied Quantity
$3.00 0 15 0
2.40 2 12 0
1.80 4 9 2
1.20 6 6 4
.60 8 3 6
0 10 0 8

c. On Figure 3-4, plot the market demand and supply curves.

d. What are the equilibrium price and quantity in this market?

e. Now suppose the papal decree is issued. Which curve will be affected by this change?

f. Which shift factor will cause the curve to shift?

 54

Suppose the column labeled “New Quantity” in Table 3-4 represents the change in the market.

Figure 3-4

g. Plot the new curve on Figure 3-4. (Is there any doubt about which curve shifted?)
h. Approximately, what are the new equilibrium price and output?

i. What type of change would have resulted in a movement along the demand curve and not a shift in it?

j. Will the supply curve shift as a result of the papal decree? Will the quantity of fish supplied change?
Explain.

5. What would happen to used-car prices in a recession as family incomes fall? The first three columns in
Table 3-5 can be used to illustrate price, quantity supplied, and quantity demanded before the recession hits the
economy.

TABLE 3-5
Price Quantity Quantity New
Supplied Demanded Quantity
$500 100 400 ____
600 150 300 ____
700 200 200 ____
800 250 100 ____
900 300 0 ____

a. Use the grid in Figure 3-5 to plot the supply and demand curves in this market.
b. Determine the equilibrium price and output.

c. At what price would the quantity supplied fall to zero?

d. What is the price axis intercept of the supply curve?

e. What are the slopes of the supply and demand curves?

 55

Figure 3-5

One special feature of this market is that households, or consumers, are both suppliers and demanders of
used cars. When the recession comes, a new relationship is established between price and quantity. Suppose a
new relationship is established between price and quantity as shown in Table 3-6.

TABLE 3-6
P Q
$500 55
700 155
900 255

f. Use these numbers to fill in the last column in Table 3-5. Note that there are gaps in your data!
g. Calculate and then fill in the missing numbers in the column.
h. Add this new curve to your diagram in Figure 3-5.
i. Approximately, what are the new equilibrium price and output?

j. For what reason(s) did the curve shift?

k. Can you think of any reasons why the curve might shift in the opposite direction instead?

l. Finally, suppose, as a result of the recession, some households decide to purchase a used car rather
than a new one. Suppose further that some households that were previously planning to buy a used car
decide to postpone the purchase of a car altogether. Assume that this second change dominates, or is
stronger than, the first one mentioned. Illustrate this change in your diagram in Figure 3-5 and explain the
effect it will have on market price and output.

6. The last market example that Samuelson and Nordhaus discuss in this chapter focuses on the supply of and
demand for workers, or labor. Labor, land, and capital are considered the primary factors of production that
firms use to produce goods and services. The exchange of the factors of production takes place in factor
markets. Goods and services, on the other hand, are exchanged in product markets. To make sure that the
functions of these markets are clear to you, we suggest that you review the circular-flow diagram of a market
economy (Figure 2-1) in Chapter 2 of the text.
In the factor market for labor, the roles of individuals and firms are reversed from their positions in the
product market. In the factor market, individuals are the suppliers of labor services, and firms are now the
consumers or demanders of labor services. Workers will supply more of their labor services at higher prices or
wage rates, and all other things held equal, firms will demand more labor services as wages fall.
 56

Figure 3-6 illustrates demand and supply curves for labor in a competitive market. As indicated, the
equilibrium market wage is $5 (per hour).
a. If the wage rate were beneath the equilibrium wage, would you expect either the demand or supply
curve to shift? Explain why or why not.

b. If the wage rate were beneath the equilibrium wage, what forces would move the market toward
equilibrium?
c. Suppose the government passed a law which said that all workers in this industry must be paid at least
$6 per hour. Would you expect either the demand curve or the supply curve to shift? Explain why or why
not.
d. Assuming that there are no other changes, describe the effect that this legislation would have on
wages, employment, and unemployment in this market.

Figure 3-6

VIII. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Answer the following questions, making sure that you can explain the work you did to arrive at the answers.

1. Explain why the market supply curve for any commodity has a positive slope.
2. Explain why the market demand curve for any commodity has a negative slope.
3. Explain the importance of the concept “all other things held equal” in supply-and-demand analysis.
4. Suppose that we are studying the market for cornflakes. Suppose further that during the summer of 1999
the following events both occur: (1) The weather in the farm belt is extraordinarily hot, with very little rain;
and (2) A new research study is published and widely disseminated which proves that eating cornflakes makes
people healthier and adds years to their lives. Figure 3-7 illustrates the initial equilibrium position in the
cornflake market.
a. Show how the two events described above will change this market.
b. Can you say what will happen to the equilibrium price in this market? Please explain your answer.
c. Can you say what will happen to the equilibrium quantity in this market? Please explain your answer.

Figure 3-7
 57

5. In the last section of the chapter, Samuelson and Nordhaus discuss “rationing by prices.”
a. What exactly does this mean?
b. What other methods can societies use to ration goods and services?

IX. ANSWERS TO STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS

III. Review of Key Concepts

5 Effective demand
10 Increase in supply
3 Consumer income
2 Technology
6 Prices of substitutes
1 Immigration
4 The law of diminishing returns
7 Equilibrium level of output
9 Surplus
8 Decrease in quantity demanded

VI. Multiple Choice Questions

1. C 2. C 3. C 4. B 5. A 6. C
7. A 8. A 9. E 10. B 11. E 12. A
13. B 14. D 15. B 16. A 17. C 18. C
19. C 20. C 21. D 22. E 23. E 24. C
25. D 26. C 27. A 28. C 29 B 30. C
31. A

VII. Problem Solving

l. a. F
b. F
c. F
d. F
e. T
f. F
g. T
h. F
i. T
j. T
2. b. supply, left, higher, lower
c. supply, right, lower, higher
d. demand, left, lower, lower
e. supply, right, lower, higher
f. demand, right, higher, higher
3. b. (d) Increase in costs shifts SS left. higher, lower
c. (a) Increase in the number of buyers shifts DD right, higher, higher
d. (b) Decrease in substitute’s price shifts DD left. lower, lower
e. (d) Increase in costs shifts SS left. higher, lower
f. (a) Increase in income shifts DD right. higher, higher
g. (c) Increase in technology shifts SS right. lower, higher
4. a. 2 (thousand)
b. 3 (thousand)
c. See Figure 3-4.
 58

Figure 3-4

d. Pl = $1.20 per pound.

Ql = 6 thousand pounds.
e. Demand will shift to the left.
f. Consumers’ tastes and preferences will be affected by the decree.
g. See Figure 3-4.
h. P2 is approximately $0.96 per pound.
Q2 is approximately 4.8 thousand pounds.
i. If there is a change in the price of codfish, consumers will move along the demand curve.
j. The papal decree will cause the demand curve to shift, not the supply curve. Producers will move
down the existing supply curve to the new demand curve. If as a result of the lower prices, less profits are
made, this may encourage firms to exit the industry. If and when this occurs, the supply curve will shift
to the left. But the papal decree has no direct effect on the position or shape of the supply curve
5. a. See Figure 3-5.

Figure 3-5

b. P1 = $700.
Q1 = 200.
 59

c. $300.
d. $300.
e. Slope of supply = 2.
Slope of demand = -1.

TABLE 3-5
f. Quantity Quantity New
g. Price Supplied Demanded Quantity
$500 100 400 55
600 150 300 105
700 200 200 155
800 250 100 205

h. See Figure 3-5.

i. P2 is approximately $730.
Q2 is approximately 162.
j. Automobile owners are holding on to their cars longer during the recession. Perhaps their pay has
been cut or they have lost their jobs.
k. If household income falls dramatically, people may be forced to sell their cars for money. (This would
probably be a depression.)
l. See Figure 3-5. The demand curve will shift to the left. Market price and output will both fall.
6. a. Neither curve will shift. Since the wage rate is measured along the Y axis, you would move along the
curves to the equilibrium wage.
b. There would be an excess demand for labor. Firms would want to hire more workers than they could
find. As wages rose, more workers would seek employment, and firms would demand fewer workers.
c. Neither curve will shift. There will be an excess supply of labor if the wage is raised to $6 an hour.
d. Wages, for those who found work, would be higher. Unemployment would increase because firms
would lay some previously employed workers off, and more people would be looking for work.

VIII. Discussion Questions

1. If firms are to produce more output, they will have to bid resources away from other industries. Their
costs go up, so to produce more, they must be paid more.
2. As consumers purchase commodities, the additional satisfaction they receive from additional units begins
to decrease. So their willingness to pay for the commodity declines as well.
3. It is very difficult to explain how the economy works if we cannot (at least in the classroom) hold other
things equal. When more than one change occurs at a time, it becomes impossible to explain causal
relationships.
4. a. See Figure 3-7.

Figure 3-7
 60

b. Since people recognize health benefits, and since supply has been reduced, the price will go up.
c. We cannot be certain about quantity. Consumers want more. Firms want to supply less. Whichever
curve shifts more will dominate and determine the direction of the change in output.
5. a. In a market system, goods and services are rationed by the marketplace. Consumers “vote” with their
dollars and determine what will be produced.
b. An alternative rationing plan can be imposed by the government. This is a command economy.
Remember, all societies are faced with scarcity and must devise some way to ration goods and services.