Module 4 Activities 1-6
Module 4 Activities 1-6
1. Suppose during 2003/04 the number of cars sold in Bahrain increases despite an
increase in cars prices. How can this be explained? D↑ while S remained constant.
2. Because of health awareness many people reduces their consumption of animal oil and
increase their consumption of vegetable oil to reduce cholesterol problems. What will
happen to DC of both products?
3. Suppose you have the following data about the price, quantity demanded and, quantity
supplied of a specific good
P Qd Qs
5 70 0
10 55 20
15 40 40
20 25 60
25 10 80
a. What is the equilibrium price and quantity?
b. Is there a surplus or shortage when P = 10? Why?
c. Is there a surplus or shortage when P = 20? Why?
d. What is the highest price at which buyers are willing and able to buy 55 units?
e. What is the minimum price at which sellers are willing and able to sell 60 units?
f. What will happen in the market if price ceiling of 10 was in effect?
h. Suppose a new technology has been discovered to reduce the cost of the good, but the
demand for this good has decreased because of a new substitute. What is the impact on
P*, Q*, other things remain the same?
i. Suppose some unfavorable conditions severely affected the supply of this good while
its demand increased because of the decrease in the price of a complement, what will
happen to P* and Q*?
1) Suppose the price of gasoline is $1.60 per gallon. Is the quantity demanded higher or
lower than at the equilibrium price of $1.40 per gallon? And what about the quantity
supplied? Is there a shortage or a surplus in the market? If so, of how much?
3) Many changes are affecting the market for oil. Predict how each of the following
events will affect the equilibrium price and quantity in the market for oil. In each case,
state how the event will affect the supply and demand diagram. Create a sketch of the
diagram if necessary.
A) Cars are becoming more fuel efficient, and therefore get more miles to the gallon.
D) The economies of some major oil-using nations, like Japan, slow down.
H) Chemical companies invent a new, popular kind of plastic made from oil.
4) Consider the demand for hamburgers. If the price of a substitute good (for example,
hot dogs) increases and the price of a complement good (for example, hamburger buns)
increases, can you tell for sure what will happen to the demand for hamburgers? Why or
why not? Illustrate your answer with a graph.
5) Suppose there is soda tax to curb obesity. What should a reduction in the soda tax do
to the supply of sodas and to the equilibrium price and quantity? Can you show this
graphically? Hint: assume that the soda tax is collected from the sellers
1.2 Supply: Indicate whether a movement upward or downward along the supply curve,
or a shift leftward or rightward of the supply curve of MANGOES occurs for the
following cases:
i) The surge in export demand raises price.
ii) The government imposes a price ceiling on mangoes to appease consumers who
have not had enough of the fruit last year.
iii) A new variety is developed which doubles the out per tree.
iv) The current crop of mangoes is infested by fruit files.
v) The price of pesticides against fruit files increases due to the 10 percent import levy.
1.3 Describe what will happen to equilibrium price and quantity of each of the
commodities given the corresponding hypothetical situations.
i) Coffee: The Philippine Medical Association announces that caffeine in coffee
causes heart attack.
ii) National Bookstore’s Books: Management engages in a one month cut-price book
sale.
iii) Rice: Government imports rice from Thailand.
iv) Pork: Foot and mouth disease (FMD) hits thousands of pigs resulting in very high
mortality rate.
v) Cigarettes: Taxes on cigarettes are increased from P2.00 to P3.00 per pack.
1) Suppose the demand for gasoline is given by Qᴰ = 100 – 2P and the supply by Qˢ 20 +
6P
The concepts of demand and supply are among the most important in all economics.
They are of course not the only tools of analysis in the economist’s armoury, but they
allow us to identify and understand the relevant factors in analyzing many economic
situations. It is assumed at this point that students already have some familiarity with
these concepts, but a brief review is in order here, so that we can then see their
application to a situation that has caused considerable controversy in recent years, the
subject of equal prize money in tennis.
In the economic sense demand refers to the quantities that people are or would be
willing to buy at different prices during a given time period, assuming that other factors
affecting these quantities remain the same. For reasons explained in Chapter 3 on
demand theory, there is generally an inverse relationship between the quantity demanded
and the price charged, and this is customarily shown in the downward-sloping demand
curve, although the relationship can equally be expressed in terms of a function or
equation. The demand relationship is determined by many factors, but consumer tastes
are fundamental. This applies both to products and to the services of people in the labour
market.
b. Supply
In the economic sense supply refers to the quantities that people are or would be
willing to sell at different prices during a given time period, assuming that other factors
affecting these quantities remain the same. When talking about the supply of products it
is often the costs of production that are most important in determining the supply
relationship, and generally there is a direct relationship between the quantity supplied
and the price offered, with more being supplied the higher the price. However, in factor
markets, in particular the labour market, supply is more complex. The availability of
people with the relevant skills, the pleasantness of the work and the opportunity cost
involved are all important factors.