--%>
Assignment Help - homework help

Income Elasticities of Demand

Question:

(a)  Suppose the income elasticity of demand for pre-recorded music compact disks is +4 and the income elasticity of demand for a cabinet maker's work is +0.4.  Compare the impact on pre-recorded music compact disks and the cabinet maker's work of a recession that reduces consumer incomes by 10 per cent.

(b)  How might you determine whether the pre-recorded music compact discs and MP3 music players are in competition with each other?

(c)   Interpret the following Income Elasticities of Demand (YED) values for the following and state if the good is normal or inferior; YED= +0.5 and YED= -2.5

(d)   Interpret the following Cross-Price Elasticities of Demand (XED) and explain the relationship between these goods. XED= + 0.64 and XED= -2.6

Answer:

a) A positive elasticity means that an increase in income will lead to an increase in the consumption and fall in income will lead to a fall in consumption. If the income of the consumer declines by 10%, then there will be a 40% (4 x 10) fall in the consumption of pre-recorded music CDs and 4%(10 x 0.4) decline in the demand of cabinet maker's work.

b) This can be determined by the cross elastic of the two goods. If the cross elasticity of demand is negative then the goods will be complements to each other and hence they will not be in competition. However, if the cross elasticity of demand is positive then the goods are substitutes and they are in competition.

c) For first good the income elasticity of demand is 0.5 which means that if income increases by 1% then the demand will increase by 0.5%. This makes the food a normal good.

For the second good, the income elasticity of demand is -2.5, which means that an increase in income by 1% will lead to a fall in demand by -2.5%. This means that the good is inferior good.

d) A positive elasticity means that increase in price of one good leads to an increase in demand of the other good. This is the case of substitute goods.

A negative cross elasticity of demand, on the other hand, means that an increase in price of one good leads to a decrease in the demand for the other good. This happens in the case of complements.

   Related Questions in Microeconomics

  • Q : Increase in the average Consumer Surplus

    The average prices for many goods tend to drop when Wal-Mart opens a store in the new market area. Such price cuts are most probable to yield rises in the average: (1) Economic gains of local restaurants. (2) Accounting Gains of local stores operated by the Sears, K-M

    		•
  • Q : Economic foundations of the single tax

    The economic foundations of the single-tax progress were first presented through: (1) British Prime Minister Lloyd George. (2) John Stuart Mill. (3) Henry George. (4) David Ricardo. (5) George Stigler. How can I so

    		•
  • Q : Vigorous competition by firms in an

    Allocating scarce resources hence they are put to the uses which best satisfy consumer wants is facilitated through: (w) highly bureaucratic, centralized decision making. (x) tax breaks for wealthy people which “trickle down” to consumers. (y) vigorous com

    		•
  • Q : Floating exchange rates Provide

    Provide solution of this question. In saying that the present system of floating exchange rates is managed we mean that: A) countries which allow their exchange rate to move freely will lose their borrowing privileges with the IMF.  B) the value of any IMF member

    		•
  • Q : Difference among change in

    The difference between change in supply and change in quantity supplied is as follows: (1) The change in quantity supplied is caused just by the change in the price of good, whereas a change in supply takes place whenever the ceteris paribus suppositi

    		•
  • Q : Market demand with market power

    LoCalLoCarbo has turn into the favorite of fad dieters. There in illustrated graph curve B shows: (i) LoCalLoCarbo’s marginal cost curve. (ii) LoCalLoCarbo’s average variable cost curve. (iii) LoCalLoCarbo’s average total cost curve. (iv) the market

    		•
  • Q : Demand curve for Complementary Goods

    The ban on assault weapons enacted in the year 1994 lapsed in the year 2004. Prices for assault weapons fell in year 2004 since the only way to get such guns throughout the ban was via the black market. This modify in the law in year 2004 is most probable to shift the

    		•
  • Q : Determine demand and supply when

    If, throughout a period while video iPods are gaining popularity, the technology to create them enhances, in that case demand: (w) and supply would both decrease. (x) and supply would both increase.  (y) increases when supply decreases. (z) decreases when supply

    		•
  • Q : Problem relating to Moral Hazard When

    When insurance companies pay back insured individuals for all the medical bills they submit: (1) Hypochondria will tend to be cured very rapidly. (2) People would tend to frequent the doctor's office more frequently. (3) An immoral choice problem would foster underuti

    		•
  • Q : Export transactions Select the right

    Select the right answer of the question. U.S. export transactions create: A) a U.S. demand for foreign monies and the satisfaction of this demand decreases the supplies of dollars held by foreign banks. B) a U.S. demand for foreign monies and the satisfaction of this

    		•