--%>
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 : Kinked demand curve of an oligopoly

    The kinked demand curve of an oligopoly model supposes: (w) price increases will be followed. (x) price increases will be matched. (y) price declines will be matched. (z) any price changes will be matched.

    Q : Income Elasticities of Demand Question:

    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-recorde

    		•
  • Q : Problem on Current labor union issues I

    I have a problem in economics on Problem on Current labor union issues. Please help me in the following question. The current labor union issues would comprise: (i) Public sentiment favoring the legislative control of strike powers. (ii) Reduction of

    		•
  • Q : Decisions of oligopoly firm on price

    Within an oligopoly each firm: (w) ignores the pricing strategies of rival firms. (x) faces a horizontal demand curve. (y) should make decisions on price and output based on expected or actual actions of its rival. (z) has little control over the mark

    		•
  • Q : Problem on surplus inventories When the

    When the market price for soccer balls is above the intersection of supply and demand curves, then: (1) Shortages of soccer balls will be extensive. (2) Pressure will exist to raise the price of soccer balls. (3) Salaries paid people who make soccer balls are probable

    		•
  • Q : Investment in Equilibrium Investment is

    Investment is within equilibrium in all of the given cases EXCEPT while: (w) after adjusting for risk, maturity, and liquidity, all income producing assets yield identical returns. (x) all prices of assets exactly equal their respecti

    		•
  • Q : Labor Union Goals economically

    Economically, the labor unions can be thought of as the: (i) encouraging competition between the workers for jobs. (ii) Rising the flexibility of nominal wages. (iii) Attempts to cartelize and unite the individual sellers of labor. (iv) Having a goal of the minimum un

    		•
  • Q : Illustration of monopolistic competition

    A small neighbourhood grocer in a big town mainly close approximates a: (i) pure competitor. (ii) monopolist. (iii) monopolistic competitor. (iv) oligopolist. (v) monogamist. Hello guys I want your advice. Please recommend some vie

    		•
  • Q : Labor Unions and Employment job

    The labor union will not get better its member’s job prospects through: (i) Raising the worker productivity through apprenticeship. (ii) Restricting entry through quotas or high initiation fees. (iii) Lobbying for the tariffs on competing foreign goods. (iv) Col

    		•
  • Q : Problem on annual implicit cost To

    To begin up his own business, Mitch quit his salaried job and invested $10,000 in savings which had earned him $1,000 per year in interest. He as well employs an apartment as his office that he previously had rented out for $6,500 per year. Which of the following is n

    		•