The Price Elasticity of Demand

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• The price elasticity of demand measures the degree of responsiveness of the quantity demanded of a good to a given change in the price of the good itself, ceteris paribus. • Price Elastic demand - Price change, responsiveness • Price inelastic demand - Price change, less responsive • PED = 0 - Demand perfectly price inelastic - Change in price --> No change in QD • PED < 1 - Demand is price inelastic - Change in price --> Less than proportionate change in QD - Increase price 10% --> Decrease in QD by 1% PED = 1% / 10% = 0.1 • PED > 1 - Demand is price elastic - Change in price --> More than proportionate change in QD - Increase price 10% --> Decrease in QD 50% PED = 50% / 10% • PED = 1 - Demand is unitary elastic - Change in price --> Proportionate change in QD - Price increase 10% --> decrease QD 10% PED = 10% / 10% = 1 • PED = INFINITE - Demand perfectly price elastic - Small change in price --> Infinite change in QD FACTORS AFFECTING PED : Time period Availabilty & closeness of substitutes Need for the good Income - proportion of income Nature of product Government Time Period • The shorter the time span, the less price elastic of demand for the good. • The longer the time span, the more price elastic the demand for the good. Availabilty and closeness of substituted • Higher number of substitutes for a good, more price elastic the demand for the good. • The closer the degree of substitutability, the more price elastic the demand for the good. ( E.g : Nokia VS IPhone = Not close! ) Need for the good • The demand for cigarettes and liquors which are habitually consumed by users is, Price Inelastic. • The greater the need for the good, the more price inelastic will be the demand for the good. Proportion of income

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