Supply, demand and competition How are prices set? Seller? Buyer? Both buyer and seller set the price! Setting an Economy’s Price System To understand how a nation’s economy functions it is important to understand the nation’s ______ __________. The forces that determine price are called the forces of _____________ and ___________. The place where these two forces meet is called the ______________________. Basic Facts _____________ have a great influence on the price of goods and services. Why? Market = Voluntary exchange – Buyers and sellers work out a deal that suits _________ sides. Demand Demand – shows how many of a product consumers are _______________ and _______ to buy at a ___________________price during a ______________time period. Ex. – Swimming suits have a different price and quantity demanded in summer vs. winter. Law of Demand Explains the _______________ people are willing to buy as ________ change. When can demand occur? Three factors that affect what and how much people buy are ________________________________, ______________________________, and ____________________________. Price goes up – demand goes down Price goes down – demand goes up Diminishing Marginal Utility (DMU) Utility Total satisfaction _________ with additional units purchased, but additional satisfaction _____________. People will buy until price ______________ satisfaction. Price decreases, people will buy _________. Real Income Effect Income __________ the amount of money people can spend. People cannot keep buying the same amount if price _____________ and income stays the same (____________ ____________________ ____________________) People are forced to _____________ if price increases. If price decreases and you buy the same amount, your real income has ___________________. 1 Demand curve Demand Curve is a ________ _________ that shows the amount of a product that will be purchased at each ________; it shows an inverse relationship and is always _____________________. p d Remember!! A change along the curve indicates a change in ________ and a change in ____________________________. A change of the curve (right or left) indicates an across the board change in _____ As price __________________, the quantity demanded ___________________. As price __________________, the quantity demanded ___________________. P Q Price per gallon of water Bottles per week JO .75 .50 .35 .25 Pat 90 130 180 290 Demand for hot chocolate in December at the skating rink Price $.50 $1.00 $1.50 $2.00 $2.50 $3.00 $3.50 Quantity Demanded 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 2 50 70 100 130 Demand Determinants _______________________________ that will affect the amount people will buy. Includes changes in population, _____________________, and ________________________________________. Prices of Related Goods What are substitutes? Give 2 examples? What are compliments? Give 2 examples? Income Normal Good – a good for which demand _____________ as consumer incomes rise (milk) Inferior good – a good for which demand _____________ as consumer incomes rise (ground chuck, bus rides) As income _________ consumers tend to switch from consuming these inferior goods to consuming normal goods. Preference/Taste – likes and dislikes in consumption Consumer Expectations – change in __________price of goods. Change in ___________ income. Population change – as the number of __________________ in a market changes the ___________ will change. Law of Supply The amount _____________ are willing to provide at various prices. As price _______________, supply _______________. As price _______________, supply ________________. _______________________________________ - Adding units of a factor of production will increase output for a time. Eventually output will decrease. Supply Schedule & Curves A Supply Schedule displays the quantity of a product supplied at each price Price per bottle .75 .50 .35 .25 Bottles supplied 200 130 75 50 3 Supply of shovels before a large snowstorm sold at Lowes Price 4.00 8.00 12.00 14.00 Quantity supplied 5 10 15 20 Determinants of Supply Technology – If more efficient technology is discovered, what happens to production costs? Why? Price of Relevant Resources – Those resources employed in the production of a good. ____________________________________ – Price of a good that uses some of the same resources as used to produce the good in question. Producer Expectations – shift production according to ___________ prices. _______________________ - number of producers increases the number of supply Government restrictions – Supply and Demand If price falls, _______________ will increase and ________________ will decrease. If price rises, demand will ______________ and supply will ______________. Equilibrium price – Shortage and surplus – When demand is ______________than supply, a _____________ occurs. What happens to prices in a shortage? In a surplus? Why? 4 Price Controls Price Ceiling – Price Floor - Price Elasticity What is price elasticity? How is price elasticity determined? . Types of Price Elasticity Elastic Inelastic – Steak? Milk? Gasoline? What Products are Subject to Elastic Demand? _____________________________ - Most customers want luxuries and will consider buying them if price drops. If Price Represents a Large Portion of Family Income e.g. – Mortgage Rates drop from 6.5% to 5.5% people will refinance. Availability of Substitute Items - e.g. Steak/chicken ___________________________ - Computers, cars, washers, dryers will be in greater demand if the price drops. What Products are Subject to Inelastic Demand? Necessitites – Milk, gasoline Drugs - ___________________ (heart medicine, antibiotics)______________________ (heroin, cocaine) Products with _____________________________________________ Insulin, cancer drugs, etc. Salt in Middle Ages (preservative) 5 Competition Competition will exist if different businesses produce _________ products. What is needed for there to be perfect Competition? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Market Price is __________________________________ price. How is market price/equilibrium price determined? Imperfect Competition One group can have an impact on price. Barriers to entry _________________________________Some goods and services are protected from duplication by the government. __________________________________ - large amount of capital is needed to begin. ______________________________________– Companies control materials and do not sell to competitors. Monopoly One group controls the market. What can sellers do in a Monopoly? Monopoly Types Natural Geographic Technological Government Cartel 6 Oligopoly A few businesses in compeition 4 characteristics of an Oligopoly What are common in Oligopolies? Why? Oligopoly examples Movie studios Television Food processing Telecommunications Monopolistic Competition 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. What are key factors in a Monopolistic competition? Why? Mergers One company joins with another. Horizontal Vertical Conglomerate Government Policies What was the biggest industry in the U.S. in the late 1800s? Who set out to stop monopolies with “trust-busting” policies to break up large businesses? What percentage of merger’s need to be approved by the government? 7