Lecture 5:

Elasticity of Demand and Supply

Text: Chapter 5 ( pages 101-105)
CASNR

Responsiveness of the Quantity Demanded to

Price Changes

Earlier, we indicated that, ceteris paribus, the quantity of a

product demanded will vary inversely to the price of that
product. That is, the direction of change in quantity
demanded following a price change is clear.

What is not known is the extent by which quantity

demanded will respond to a price change.
To measure the responsiveness of the quantity
demanded to change in price, we use a measure called
PRICE ELASTICITY OF DEMAND.

Own Price Elasticity of Demand

The price elasticity of demand is a measure of the

responsiveness of quantity demanded to a price change

Own Price Elasticity of Demand: The percentage change in

the quantity demanded relative to a percentage change in its
own price.
Q P Q P
ED

Q
P P Q

For a smooth (differentiable) demand curve, the price

elasticity of demand is given by

Q P
ED

P Q

Using Price Elasticity of Demand

Elasticity is a pure ratio independent of units.

Since price and quantity demanded generally

move in opposite direction, the sign of the
elasticity coefficient is generally negative.

Interpretation: If ED = - 2.72: A one percent

increase in price results in a 2.72% decrease in
quantity demanded

Own Price Elasticity of Demand (ED)

A numerical example

Quantity

Q2-Q1

Price

P2-P1

ED

125

100

-25

(1/-25)X(125/1) = - 0.04x125 = - 5

50

-50

(2/-50)x(100/2) = - 0.04x50 = - 2

10

-40

(1/-40)x(50/4) = - 0.025x12.5 = - 0.3

Price Elasticity of Demand

Classifications of Own Price Elasticity of Demand:

Inelastic demand ( |E | < 1 ): a change in price brings about a
D
relatively smaller change in quantity demanded (ex. gasoline).
Total Revenue = PQ rises as a result of a price increase

Unitary elastic demand ( |ED| = 1 ): a change in price brings

about an equivalent change in quantity demanded.
TR= PQ remains the same as a result of a price increase
Elastic demand ( |ED| > 1 ): a change in price brings about a
relatively larger change in quantity demanded (ex. expensive
wine).
TR = PQ falls as a result of a price increase

Total Revenue and ED

Price Inelastic Demand
| ED | < 1

Price Elastic Demand

| ED| > 1

P
Q

TR

TR

Price Elasticity along

Linear Demand Curves

Linear Demand Curve:

Q = a bP
Price elasticity of this demand
Ed = (Q/ P)(P/Q) = b(P/Q)
Any downward sloping demand
curve has a corresponding
inverse demand curve.
Inverse linear Demand Curve:
P = a/b (1/b)Q

P
a/b
a/2b
0

M
a/2

At P= a/b, Ed = ; at P = 0, Ed = 0; at P= a/2b, Ed = 1

In the region of the demand curve to the left of the mid-point M, demand is
elastic, that is Ed < 1

In the region to the right of the mid-point M, demand is inelastic, 1 < Ed 0

Constant Elasticity Demand Curve

Another commonly used demand curve is the constant

elasticity demand curve, given by
Q = aP-b
For this demand curve, the price elasticity of demand is

Ed = (Q/ P)(P/Q) = b

Thus, the price elasticity of demand is always the same

(-b) on every point of this demand curve.
However, such a demand curve could be elastic, or
inelastic, or unit-elastic (depending on the value of b) .

Own Price Elasticity of Demand (ED)

Calculating Own Price Elasticity of Demand from a Demand Function:

Using calculus:
Q P

Ed

P Q
Given a demand function:
Qb = 100 30 Pb 20 Pc + .005I, where, Qb = Quantity demanded of beer in
billion 6-packs, Pb = Price of beer per 6-pack ($5), Pc = Price of a pack of chips
($1), and I = Annual household income ($25,000).
Qb = 100 30*(5) 20*(1) + .005*(25000) = 55
Taking partial derivative of the demand function with respect to price and
substituting values for P and Q we get:

Ed

Q P
5

(30)
2.7272
P Q
55

Price Elasticity of Demand for some

Commodities in the US

Product
Turkey

Own Price Elasticity (Demand)

- 1.56

Margarine

- 0.84

Beef

- 0.64

Cheese

- 0.46

Potatoes

- 0.30

Bread

- 0.15

Cross Price Elasticity of Demand

Shows the percentage change in the quantity demanded of

good Y in response to a change in the price of good X.
EDYX = % Change in QDY / % change in PX
Algebraically:

EdYX

Qy Px
Qy Px

Qy
Px
Px Qy

Read as the cross-price elasticity of demand for commodity Y

with respect to commodity X.
Units of Y demanded

Price of X

60

$10

40

$12

EDYX___________
(-20/2)x(10/60) = - 1.66

Cross Price Elasticity of Demand (Edyx)

Calculating Cross Price Elasticity of Demand from a Demand Function:

Using calculus:
Qy Px

Edyx

Px

Qy

Given a demand function:

Qb = 100 30 Pb 20 Pc + .005I, where, Qb = Quantity demanded of
beer in billion 6-packs, Pb = Price of beer per 6-pack ($5), Pc = Price
of a pack of chips ($1), and I = Annual household income ($25,000).
Qb = 100 30*(5) 20*(1) + .005*(25000) = 55
Taking partial derivative of the demand function for beer with respect
to price of chips and substituting values for P c and Q we get:

Edbc

Qb Pc
1

( 20)
0.3636
Pc Qb
55

Classification of
Cross-price elasticity of Demand

Interpretation:
If E
dyx = - 0.36: A one percent increase in price of chips results in
a 0.36% decrease in quantity demanded of beer

Classification:
If (E
dyx > 0): implies that as the price of good X increases, the
quantity demanded of Good Y also increases. Thus, Y and X are
substitutes in consumption (ex. chicken and pork).

If (Edyx < 0): implies that as the price of good X increases, the
quantity demanded of Good Y decreases. Thus Y & X are
Complements in consumption (ex. bear and chips).

If (Edyx = 0): implies that the price of good X has no effect on

quantity demanded of Good Y. Thus, Y & X are Independent in
consumption (ex. bread and coke)

Income Elasticity of Demand (EI)

Shows the percentage change in the quantity demanded of

good Y in response to a percentage change in Income.
EI = % Change in QY / % change in I
Algebraically:

Units of Y demanded

EI

Qy I
Qy
I

Qy
I
I
Qy
Income

100

$1200

150

$1600

EI

(50/400)x(1200/100) = 1.5

Income Elasticity of Demand (EI)

Calculating Income Elasticity of Demand from a Demand Function:

Using calculus:
Qy
I

EI

Qy

Given a demand function:

Qb = 100 30 Pb 20 Pc + .005I, where, Qb = Quantity demanded of
beer in billion 6-packs, Pb = Price of beer per 6-pack ($5), Pc = Price
of a pack of chips ($1), and I = Annual household income ($25,000).
Qb = 100 30*(5) 20*(1) + .005*(25000) = 55
Taking partial derivative of the demand function with respect to
income and substituting values for Q and I we get:

EI

Qb
I
25000

(0.005)
2.2727
I
Qb
55

Income Elasticity of Demand (E )

I

Interpretation:
If E = 2.27: A one percent increase income results in a
I
2.27% increase in quantity demanded of beer

Classification:
If E > 0, then the good is considered a normal good
I
(ex. beef).
If E < 0, then the good is considered an inferior good
I
(ex. ramen noodles)
High income elasticity of demand for luxury goods
Low income elasticity of demand for necessary goods

Income Elasticity of Demand for Some

Commodities in the US
Product

Income Elasticity of
Demand

Total food

0.31

Food away from home

0.53

Fresh fruits

0.25

Fish

0.20

Beef

0.10

Pork

0.04

Managerial decisions and elasticities

You are a marketing manager and your costs have

increased (energy, salaries) reducing your net revenues.
You think about increasing your price but need to know the
effect on sales, total and net revenues.

You are a supermarket manager and you want to offer a

10% price cut in margarine this week. You want to know
how much more margarine you need to have to satisfy
your clients.

Example of price elasticity use

Your supermarket is selling 1000 containers of

margarine a week at $ 1.50 each. You know that the
own price elasticity for margarine is 0.8. If you
decide to reduce the price by 10%, how many more
margarine containers would you be selling that week?

Example..
Since E= Q/Q / P/P = -0.8, and
P/P=-0.10
Q/Q= -0.8 *- 0.10
Q=-0.8*-0.10 * 1000 = 80 more margarine containers to be
sold
What would be the total revenue gain?
Revenue without price reduction= 1000*1.50 = 1500
New revenue= 1080 *1.35 = 1458
Was it a good decision?

Forecasting price using price elasticity of demand

Example using Price Elasticity of Demand

Elasticity of Demand for Beef: Ed = 0.67

Beef disappeared in quarter 3 of 2009 = 6.64 bill. Lbs

Beef disappeared in quarter 4 of 2009 = 6.45 bill. Lbs

% change in Eq. Quant. Dem. = Q/Q = (6.45-6.64)/6.64 = 0.029

Ed = (Q/Q ) /(P/P )

0.67 = 0.029 /(P/P )

P/P = 0.029/ 0.67 = 0.043

If price of beef in quarter 3 of 2010 is 277 cents/lb, then

forecasted beef price for quarter 4 of 2010 is

P* = 277 + 0.043277 = 277+11.98 = 288.98 cents/lb.

Equilibrium Displacement Model

The concept if elasticity is also useful for forecasting

changes in prices and quantities resulting from supply and
demand curve shifts.

Supply of pork decreases due to a tougher regulation on manure

treatment and disposal
Demand for pork increases due to an increase in the price of beef

If we know the elasticities of demand and supply, we can

calculate the changes in price and quantity demanded (or
supplied) by incorporating elasticities into a model called an
equilibrium displacement model.

Equilibrium Displacement Model

Demand Equation
Q = (price, income, tastes and preferences, expectations,
d
and prices of other goods)
Demand changes (shifts) if any right hand side factor other
than price of the commodity changes

Supply Equation
Q = (price, input prices, prices of other goods,
s
expectations, technological change, number of producers)
Supply changes (shifts) if any right hand side factor other
than price of the commodity changes

Equilibrium Displacement Model

Equilibrium: Price and quantity are determined by the

intersection of the demand and supply curves, where
Q = Q
d
s (i.e., quantity demanded = quantity supplied)

Equilibrium changes (gets displaced) if demand and/or

supply changes because of changes in any right hand side
demand and/or supply factor other than the price of the
commodity.

Suppose that an increase in the production cost will shift

the supply curve to the left. As a result, new equilibrium
price will be higher and equilibrium quantity will be lower.

Equilibrium Displacement Model

We can formalize this concept and write the demand equation as

%Q = E (%P) + S
d
d
d

Where, Ed is the elasticity of demand

Sd represents any exogenous demand shift the percentage change in

quantity demanded due to a change in the value of any right hand side
variable other than own price

Similarly, we can write the supply equation as

%Qs = Es(%P) + Ss

Where, Es is the elasticity of supply

Where, Ss represents any exogenous demand shift the percentage

change in quantity supplied due to a change in the value of any right
hand side variable other than own price

Equilibrium Displacement Model

In equilibrium the percentage change in quantity demanded

must equal the percentage changed in quantity supplied, i.e.,
%Qd = %Qs
Ed(%P) + Sd = Es(%P) + Ss
Es(%P) Ed(%P) = Sd Ss
[Es Ed](%P) = Sd Ss
%P = [Sd Ss]/[Es Ed]

Thus, once we know the values of percentage change in demand

and/or supply because of an exogenous shock, we can easily
calculate the percentage change in price

Equilibrium Displacement Model

%P = [Sd Ss]/[Es Ed]

Note that the denominator [Es Ed] is always positive, because Es is

positive and Ed is negative.

If Sd >0 and Ss =0, then %P >0

If Sd =0 and Ss >0, then %P <0

If Sd >0 and Ss >0 and Sd > Ss , then %P >0

If Sd >0 and Ss >0 and Sd < Ss , then %P <0

Once we calculate the percentage change in price %P, we can

substitute that value into the demand or supply equation to calculate the
percentage change in quantity demanded or supplied

%Qd = Ed(%P) + Sd = Ed [Sd Ss]/[Es Ed] + Sd

Equilibrium Displacement Model

General steps in solving an equilibrium displacement model
Step 1: Determine the values of percentage change in demand
(Sd) and supply (Ss)

Step 2: Specify the % changes in quantity demanded and

supplied as
%Qd = Ed(%P) + Sd
%Qs = Es(%P) + Ss

Step 3: Set %Qd = %Qs and solve for %P

Step 4: Plug the calculated value for %P into the %Qd or

%Qs equation to calculate the percentage change in quantity.

Equilibrium Displacement Model

Example: Impact of manure regulation in the pork market
Elasticity of pork demand, E = 1.96
d

Elasticity of pork supply, Es = 2.15

Because of a newly introduced tighter manure regulation, pork

supply falls by 4.3%, i.e., Ss= 4.3%

There is no change in pork demand, i.e., Sd = 0

Suppose that the current price for pork is $100/cwt and the
quantity bought and sold is 1,000 cwt per day.
What would be the new equilibrium price and quantity?

Equilibrium Displacement Model

% change in pork price and quantity due to the supply shift

%P = [Sd Ss]/[Es Ed] = [0 ( 4.3)]/[2.15 ( 1.95)]

= 4.3/4.10 = 1.05%
Thus the pork price increases by 1.05%
So, the new equilibrium price would be
P* = (1+ %P)*P = (1+0.0105)*50 = 50.525/cwt.
%Qd = Ed [Sd Ss]/[Es Ed] + Sd
= ( 1.95) [0 ( 4.3)]/[2.15 ( 1.95)] + 0
= ( 1.95) 4.3/4.10 = ( 1.95) 1.05 = 2.05%
Thus the pork price decreases by 2.05%
So, the new equilibrium quantity would be, Q* = (1+ %Q)*Q
= (1- 0.0205)*1000 = 979.5 cwt.