N.

Gregory Mankiw

Principles of
Microeconomics Sixth Edition

4
The Market Forces of
Supply and Demand Premium
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Ron
 In this chapter,
look for the answers to these questions:
• What factors affect buyers’ demand for goods?
• What factors affect sellers’ supply of goods?
• How do supply and demand determine the price
of a good and the quantity sold?
• How do changes in the factors that affect
demand or supply affect the market price and
quantity of a good?
• How do markets allocate resources?

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 Markets and Competition
 A market is a group of buyers and sellers of a
particular product.
 A competitive market is one with many buyers
and sellers, each has a negligible effect on price.
 In a perfectly competitive market:
 All goods exactly the same
 Buyers & sellers so numerous that no one can
affect market price—each is a “price taker”
 In this chapter, we assume markets are perfectly
competitive.
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 Demand
 The quantity demanded of any good is the
amount of the good that buyers are willing and
able to purchase.
 Law of demand: the claim that the quantity
demanded of a good falls when the price of the
good rises, other things equal

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 The Demand Schedule
Price Quantity
 Demand schedule: of of lattes
a table that shows the lattes demanded
relationship between the $0.00 16
price of a good and the 1.00 14
quantity demanded 2.00 12
 Example: 3.00 10
4.00 8
Helen’s demand for lattes.
5.00 6
 Notice that Helen’s 6.00 4
preferences obey the
law of demand.

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 Helen’s Demand Schedule &
Curve
Price of Price Quantity
Lattes of of lattes
lattes demanded
$6.00
$0.00 16
$5.00 1.00 14
$4.00 2.00 12
$3.00 3.00 10
4.00 8
$2.00
5.00 6
$1.00 6.00 4
$0.00
Quantity
0 5 10 15 of Lattes
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Market Demand versus Individual Demand
 The quantity demanded in the market is the sum of
the quantities demanded by all buyers at each price.
 Suppose Helen and Ken are the only two buyers in
the Latte market. (Qd = quantity demanded)

Price Helen’s Qd Ken’s Qd Market Qd

$0.00 16 + 8 = 24
1.00 14 + 7 = 21
2.00 12 + 6 = 18
3.00 10 + 5 = 15
4.00 8 + 4 = 12
5.00 6 + 3 = 9
6.00 4 + 2 = 6
 The Market Demand Curve for Lattes

Qd
P P
(Market)
$6.00
$0.00 24
$5.00 1.00 21
$4.00 2.00 18
3.00 15
$3.00
4.00 12
$2.00
5.00 9
$1.00 6.00 6
$0.00 Q
0 5 10 15 20 25

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 Demand Curve Shifters
 The demand curve shows how price affects
quantity demanded, other things being equal.
 These “other things” are non-price determinants
of demand (i.e., things that determine buyers’
demand for a good, other than the good’s price).

 Changes in them shift the D curve…

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 Demand Curve Shifters: # of
Buyers
 Increase in # of buyers
increases quantity demanded at each price,
shifts D curve to the right.

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 Demand Curve Shifters: # of Buyers

P Suppose the number

$6.00 of buyers increases.
Then, at each P,
$5.00
Qd will increase
$4.00 (by 5 in this example).
$3.00

$2.00
$1.00

$0.00 Q
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
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 Demand Curve Shifters: Income
 Demand for a normal good is positively
related to income.
 Increase in income causes
increase in quantity demanded at each
price, shifts D curve to the right.
(Demand for an inferior good is negatively
related to income. An increase in income
shifts D curves for inferior goods to the left.)

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 Demand Curve Shifters: Prices of
Related Goods
 Two goods are substitutes if
an increase in the price of one
causes an increase in demand for the other.
 Example: pizza and hamburgers.
An increase in the price of pizza
increases demand for hamburgers,
shifting hamburger demand curve to the right.
 Other examples: Coke and Pepsi,
laptops and desktop computers,
CDs and music downloads
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 Demand Curve Shifters: Prices of
Related Goods
 Two goods are complements if
an increase in the price of one
causes a fall in demand for the other.
 Example: computers and software.
If price of computers rises,
people buy fewer computers,
and therefore less software.
Software demand curve shifts left.
 Other examples: college tuition and textbooks,
bagels and cream cheese, eggs and bacon
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 Demand Curve Shifters: Tastes
 Anything that causes a shift in tastes toward a
good will increase demand for that good
and shift its D curve to the right.
 Example:
The Atkins diet became popular in the ’90s,
caused an increase in demand for eggs,
shifted the egg demand curve to the right.

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 Demand Curve Shifters: Expectations

 Expectations affect consumers’ buying decisions.

 Examples:
 If people expect their incomes to rise,
their demand for meals at expensive
restaurants may increase now.
 If the economy sours and people worry about
their future job security, demand for new autos
may fall now.

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 Summary: Variables That Influence
Buyers
Variable A change in this variable…
Price …causes a movement
along the D curve
# of buyers …shifts the D curve
Income …shifts the D curve
Price of
related goods …shifts the D curve
Tastes …shifts the D curve
Expectations …shifts the D curve

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 ACTIVE LEARNING 1
Demand Curve

Draw a demand curve for music downloads.

What happens to it in each of
the following scenarios? Why?

A. The price of iPods

falls
B. The price of music
downloads falls
C. The price of CDs falls

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 ACTIVE LEARNING 1
A. Price of iPods falls
Music downloads
Price of
and iPods are
music
down- complements.
loads A fall in price of
iPods shifts the
P1
demand curve for
music downloads
to the right.
D1 D2

Q1 Q2 Quantity of
music downloads
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 ACTIVE LEARNING 1
B. Price of music downloads falls

Price of
music The D curve
down- does not shift.
loads
Move down along
P1 curve to a point with
lower P, higher Q.
P2

D1

Q1 Q2 Quantity of
music downloads
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 ACTIVE LEARNING 1
C. Price of CDs falls

Price of CDs and

music music downloads
down-
are substitutes.
loads
A fall in price of CDs
P1 shifts demand for
music downloads
to the left.

D2 D1

Q2 Q1 Quantity of
music downloads
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 Supply
 The quantity supplied of any good is the
amount that sellers are willing and able to sell.
 Law of supply: the claim that the quantity
supplied of a good rises when the price of the
good rises, other things equal

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 The Supply Schedule
 Supply schedule: Price Quantity
of of lattes
A table that shows the lattes supplied
relationship between the $0.00 0
price of a good and the 1.00 3
quantity supplied. 2.00 6
 Example: 3.00 9
Starbucks’ supply of lattes. 4.00 12
5.00 15
 Notice that Starbucks’ 6.00 18
supply schedule obeys the
law of supply.
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 Starbucks’ Supply Schedule &
Curve
Price Quantity
P of of lattes
$6.00 lattes supplied
$0.00 0
$5.00
1.00 3
$4.00 2.00 6
$3.00 3.00 9
4.00 12
$2.00
5.00 15
$1.00 6.00 18
$0.00 Q
0 5 10 15
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Market Supply versus Individual Supply
 The quantity supplied in the market is the sum of
the quantities supplied by all sellers at each price.
 Suppose Starbucks and Jitters are the only two
sellers in this market. (Qs = quantity supplied)
Price Starbucks Jitters Market Qs
$0.00 0 + 0 = 0
1.00 3 + 2 = 5
2.00 6 + 4 = 10
3.00 9 + 6 = 15
4.00 12 + 8 = 20
5.00 15 + 10 = 25
6.00 18 + 12 = 30
 The Market Supply Curve
QS
P
(Market)
P
$6.00 $0.00 0
1.00 5
$5.00
2.00 10
$4.00 3.00 15
$3.00 4.00 20
$2.00 5.00 25
6.00 30
$1.00
$0.00 Q
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
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 Supply Curve Shifters
 The supply curve shows how price affects
quantity supplied, other things being equal.
 These “other things” are non-price determinants
of supply.
 Changes in them shift the S curve…

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 Supply Curve Shifters: Input
Prices
 Examples of input prices:
wages, prices of raw materials.
 A fall in input prices makes production
more profitable at each output price,
so firms supply a larger quantity at each price,
and the S curve shifts to the right.

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 Supply Curve Shifters: Input
Prices
P Suppose the
$6.00 price of milk falls.

$5.00
At each price,
$4.00 the quantity of
$3.00
lattes supplied
will increase
$2.00 (by 5 in this
$1.00 example).

$0.00 Q
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
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 Supply Curve Shifters:
Technology
 Technology determines how much inputs are
required to produce a unit of output.
 A cost-saving technological improvement has
the same effect as a fall in input prices,
shifts S curve to the right.

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 Supply Curve Shifters: # of
Sellers
 An increase in the number of sellers increases
the quantity supplied at each price,
shifts S curve to the right.

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 Supply Curve Shifters:
Expectations
 Example:
 Events in the Middle East lead to expectations
of higher oil prices.
 In response, owners of Texas oilfields reduce
supply now, save some inventory to sell later at
the higher price.
 S curve shifts left.
 In general, sellers may adjust supply* when their
expectations of future prices change.
(*If good not perishable)

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 Summary: Variables that Influence Sellers

Variable A change in this variable…

Price …causes a movement
along the S curve
Input Prices …shifts the S curve
Technology …shifts the S curve
# of Sellers …shifts the S curve
Expectations …shifts the S curve

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 ACTIVE LEARNING 2
Supply Curve

Draw a supply curve for tax

return preparation software.
What happens to it in each
of the following scenarios?
A. Retailers cut the price of
the software.
B. A technological advance
allows the software to be
produced at lower cost.
C. Professional tax return preparers raise the
price of the services they provide.
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 ACTIVE LEARNING 2
A. Fall in price of tax return software

Price of
tax return S curve does
S1
software
not shift.
P1 Move down
along the curve
P2 to a lower P
and lower Q.

Q2 Q1 Quantity of tax
return software
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 ACTIVE LEARNING 2
B. Fall in cost of producing the software

Price of
tax return
S1
S curve shifts
software S2
to the right:
at each price,
P1
Q increases.

Q1 Q2 Quantity of tax
return software
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 ACTIVE LEARNING 2
C. Professional preparers raise their price

Price of
tax return
S1 This shifts the
software
demand curve for
tax preparation
software, not the
supply curve.

Quantity of tax
return software
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 Supply and Demand Together

P
$6.00 D S Equilibrium:
P has reached
$5.00
the level where
$4.00 quantity supplied
$3.00 equals
quantity demanded
$2.00
$1.00

$0.00 Q
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
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 Equilibrium price:
the price that equates quantity supplied
with quantity demanded
P
$6.00 D S P QD QS
$5.00 $0 24 0
$4.00 1 21 5
2 18 10
$3.00
3 15 15
$2.00 4 12 20
$1.00 5 9 25
$0.00 6 6 30
Q
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
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 Equilibrium quantity:
the quantity supplied and quantity demanded
at the equilibrium price
P
$6.00 D S P QD QS
$5.00 $0 24 0
$4.00 1 21 5
2 18 10
$3.00
3 15 15
$2.00 4 12 20
$1.00 5 9 25
$0.00 6 6 30
Q
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
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 Surplus (a.k.a. excess
supply):
when quantity supplied is greater than
quantity demanded
P Example:
$6.00 D Surplus S
If P = $5,
$5.00
then
$4.00 QD = 9 lattes
$3.00 and
QS = 25 lattes
$2.00
resulting in a
$1.00 surplus of 16 lattes
$0.00 Q
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
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 Surplus (a.k.a. excess
supply):
when quantity supplied is greater than
quantity demanded
P
$6.00 D Surplus S Facing a surplus,
sellers try to increase
$5.00 sales by cutting price.
$4.00 This causes
$3.00 QD to rise and QS to fall…

$2.00 …which reduces the

surplus.
$1.00

$0.00 Q
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
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 Surplus (a.k.a. excess
supply):
when quantity supplied is greater than
quantity demanded
P
$6.00 D Surplus S Facing a surplus,
sellers try to increase
$5.00 sales by cutting price.
$4.00 This causes
$3.00 QD to rise and QS to fall.

$2.00 Prices continue to fall

until market reaches
$1.00 equilibrium.
$0.00 Q
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
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 Shortage (a.k.a. excess demand):
when quantity demanded is greater than
quantity supplied
P
$6.00 D S Example:
If P = $1,
$5.00
then
$4.00 QD = 21 lattes
$3.00 and
QS = 5 lattes
$2.00
resulting in a
$1.00 shortage of 16 lattes
$0.00 Shortage Q
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
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 Shortage (a.k.a. excess demand):
when quantity demanded is greater than
quantity supplied
P
$6.00 D S Facing a shortage,
sellers raise the price,
$5.00
causing QD to fall
$4.00 and QS to rise,
$3.00 …which reduces the
shortage.
$2.00
$1.00
Shortage
$0.00 Q
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
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 Shortage (a.k.a. excess demand):
when quantity demanded is greater than
quantity supplied
P
$6.00 D S Facing a shortage,
sellers raise the price,
$5.00
causing QD to fall
$4.00 and QS to rise.
$3.00 Prices continue to rise
$2.00 until market reaches
equilibrium.
$1.00
Shortage
$0.00 Q
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
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 Three Steps to Analyzing Changes in Eq’m

To determine the effects of any event,

1. Decide whether event shifts S curve,

D curve, or both.
2. Decide in which direction curve shifts.

3. Use supply—demand diagram to see

how the shift changes eq’m P and Q.

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 EXAMPLE: The Market for Hybrid Cars

P
price of
S1
hybrid cars

P1

D1
Q
Q1
quantity of
hybrid cars
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permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
 EXAMPLE 1: A Shift in Demand
EVENT TO BE
ANALYZED: P
Increase in price of gas. S1
STEP 1: P2
D curve shifts
because
STEP 2:
price of gas P1
affects demand for
D shifts right
hybrids.
because
STEP 3: high gas
S curve
price doeshybrids
makes not D1 D2
The shift
shift, causes
because an
price
more attractive Q
increase
of gas in price
does not cars. Q1 Q2
relative to other
and quantity
affect cost of of
hybrid cars.
producing hybrids.
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permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
 EXAMPLE 1: A Shift in Demand

Notice: P
When P rises,
S1
producers supply
a larger quantity P2
of hybrids, even
though the S curve P1
has not shifted.
Always be careful
D1 D2
to distinguish b/w
a shift in a curve Q
Q1 Q2
and a movement
along the curve.
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 Terms for Shift vs. Movement Along Curve
 Change in supply: a shift in the S curve
occurs when a non-price determinant of supply
changes (like technology or costs)
 Change in the quantity supplied:
a movement along a fixed S curve
occurs when P changes
 Change in demand: a shift in the D curve
occurs when a non-price determinant of demand
changes (like income or # of buyers)
 Change in the quantity demanded:
a movement along a fixed D curve
occurs when P changes
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 EXAMPLE 2: A Shift in Supply
EVENT: New technology
reduces cost of P
producing hybrid cars. S1 S2
STEP 1:
S curve shifts
because
STEP 2:
event affects P1
cost of production.
S shifts right P2
D curve does
because event not
STEPbecause
shift, 3:
reduces cost, D1
The shift causes
production technology
makes production Q
price
is not to
onefallof the Q1 Q2
more profitable at
and quantity
factors that to rise.
affect
any given price.
demand.
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52
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
 EXAMPLE 3: A Shift in Both Supply
EVENTS:
and Demand
Price of gas rises AND P
new technology reduces S1 S2
production costs
STEP 1: P2
Both curves shift.
P1
STEP 2:
Both shift to the right.
STEP 3: D1 D2
Q rises, but effect Q
on P is ambiguous: Q1 Q2
If demand increases more
than supply, P rises.
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53
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
 EXAMPLE 3: A Shift in Both Supply
EVENTS:
and Demand
price of gas rises AND P
new technology reduces S1 S2
production costs

STEP 3, cont.
P1
But if supply
increases more P2
than demand,
D1 D2
P falls.
Q
Q1 Q2

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54
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
 ACTIVE LEARNING 3
Shifts in supply and demand

Use the three-step method to analyze the effects of

each event on the equilibrium price and quantity of
music downloads.
Event A: A fall in the price of CDs
Event B: Sellers of music downloads negotiate a
reduction in the royalties they must pay
for each song they sell.
Event C: Events A and B both occur.

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permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
 ACTIVE LEARNING 3
A. Fall in price of CDs

The market for

STEPS
P music downloads
1. D curve shifts S1
2. D shifts left
P1
3. P and Q both
P2
fall.

D2 D1
Q
Q2 Q1
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permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
 ACTIVE LEARNING 3
B. Fall in cost of royalties

STEPS The market for

P music downloads
1. S curve shifts
S1 S2
(Royalties are part
2. S shifts right
of sellers’ costs) P1
3. P falls,
Q rises. P2

D1
Q
Q1 Q2
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permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
 ACTIVE LEARNING 3
C. Fall in price of CDs and
fall in cost of royalties

STEPS
STEPS
1.
1. Both
Both curves
curves shift
shift (see
(see parts
parts AA && B).
B).
2.
2. D
D shifts
shifts left,
left, SS shifts
shifts right.
right.
3.
3. PP unambiguously
unambiguously falls. falls.
Effect
Effect on
on Q Q is
is ambiguous:
ambiguous:
The
The fall
fall in
in demand
demand reduces
reduces Q,Q,
the
the increase
increase in in supply
supply increases
increases Q.
Q.

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permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
 CONCLUSION:
How Prices Allocate Resources
 One of the Ten Principles from Chapter 1:
Markets are usually a good way
to organize economic activity.
 In market economies, prices adjust to balance
supply and demand. These equilibrium prices
are the signals that guide economic decisions
and thereby allocate scarce resources.

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permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
 S U M M A RY

• A competitive market has many buyers and

sellers, each of whom has little or no influence
on the market price.
• Economists use the supply and demand model
to analyze competitive markets.
• The downward-sloping demand curve reflects
the law of demand, which states that the quantity
buyers demand of a good depends negatively
on the good’s price.

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 S U M M A RY

• Besides price, demand depends on buyers’

incomes, tastes, expectations, the prices of
substitutes and complements, and number of
buyers.
If one of these factors changes, the D curve shifts.
• The upward-sloping supply curve reflects the Law
of Supply, which states that the quantity sellers
supply depends positively on the good’s price.
• Other determinants of supply include input prices,
technology, expectations, and the # of sellers.
Changes in these factors shift the S curve.
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 S U M M A RY

• The intersection of S and D curves determines

the market equilibrium. At the equilibrium price,
quantity supplied equals quantity demanded.
• If the market price is above equilibrium,
a surplus results, which causes the price to fall.
If the market price is below equilibrium,
a shortage results, causing the price to rise.

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 S U M M A RY

• We can use the supply-demand diagram to

analyze the effects of any event on a market:
First, determine whether the event shifts one or
both curves. Second, determine the direction of
the shifts. Third, compare the new equilibrium to
the initial one.
• In market economies, prices are the signals that
guide economic decisions and allocate scarce
resources.

© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.