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 : Determine slope of demand for given

    For edcah $.10 per gallon hike within gasoline prices, Ima Driver cuts her monthly consumption of gasoline with 5 gallons. There slope of her demand for gasoline: (w) 1/2 when the change in price is expressed within cents, and 500 when the change in p

  • Q : Hiring labor for Profit Maximization

    When the marginal revenue product of the very last worker hired is more than the marginal resource cost of the worker, then the firm: (1) Is experiencing rising returns to the scale. (2) Can raise its gains by hiring more labor. (3) Is maximizing the profit. (4) Must

  • Q : Variable costs in short run A monopoly

    A monopoly tends to shut down within the short-run when: (i) price is less than the minimum of average total costs [ATC]. (ii) price cannot cover all overhead costs. (iii) variable costs are not covered. (iv) total costs exceed total revenues. (v) the

  • Q : Entry-exit in Long-run equilibrium of

    A competitive industry is in long-run equilibrium only after: (w) net pressure for entry or exit is zero. (x) each firm produces to its capacity. (y) owners reap all the profits they desire. (z) union bosses and firm managers reach mutual agreements.<

  • Q : Foreign Exchange Market Whatt happens

    Whatt happens in the foreign exchange market when there is a U.S. export transaction

  • Q : Estimate minimum average costs

    Robomatic Corporation could attain minimum average costs for RoboMaids when this produced: (1) 4,000 robots per month. (2) 6,000 robots per month. (3) 8,000 robots per month. (4) 10,000 robots per month. (5) 12,000 robots per month.

    Q : Social welfare function what do you

    what do you mean by a social welfare function? if you assume that such a function exists, what properties of social optima would be considered by you? discuss such properties.

  • Q : College loan-Rational Ignorance Assume

    Assume that a student takes out a college loan which needs 12% annual interest, however later learns that his aunt makes loans to the family members at 5% interest. The student has suffered from the problem termed as: (1) Rational ignorance. (2) Blind indifference. (3

  • Q : Proprietorships and corporations I have

    I have a problem in economics on Proprietorships and corporations. Please help me in the following question. Most of the firms in United States are organized as ________, however two-third of all gain is received by the _________. (1) Corporations; restricted partners

  • Q : Production and Value The People who

    The People who work in financial markets are least probable to make value by being productive via alteration of the: (i) Time when the materials are accessible. (ii) Place of materials. (iii) Form of materials. (iv) Possession or ownership of the materials.

©TutorsGlobe All rights reserved 2022-2023.