AP Microeconomics AMSCO Guided Notes

2.5: Other Elasticities

AP Microeconomics Guided Notes

AMSCO 2.5 - Other Elasticities

Essential Questions

  1. How do individuals and businesses respond to factors other than price that affect the demand for goods and services?
I. Income Elasticity of Demand

A. Figuring Income Elasticity of Demand

1. What is income elasticity of demand and how is it calculated?

2. How do income inelastic and income elastic demand differ in their responsiveness to income changes?

B. Types of Income Elasticity

1. What are the four types of income elasticity of demand and how does each respond to income changes?

C. Normal Goods and Inferior Goods

1. How do normal goods and inferior goods differ in their relationship to income changes?

2. What are examples of inferior goods and why does demand for them decrease as income rises?

D. Necessities and Luxuries

1. How do necessities and luxuries differ in their income elasticity and how consumers respond to income changes?

2. Why do necessities have income elasticity between 0 and 1, and what does this mean for consumer spending?

II. Cross-Price Elasticity of Demand

1. What is cross-price elasticity of demand and what does it measure?

A. Substitutes

1. Why is the cross-price elasticity of demand positive for substitute goods?

2. How do you calculate cross-price elasticity of demand for substitutes and what does a positive ratio indicate?

B. Complementary Goods

1. What are complementary goods and why is their cross-price elasticity of demand negative?

2. How does the cross-price elasticity calculation differ between complementary goods and substitutes?

C. Usefulness of Cross-Price Elasticity

1. How can businesses use cross-price elasticity to make pricing decisions for substitute products?

2. Why must companies producing complementary goods consider cross-price elasticity before raising prices?

Key Terms

income elasticity of demand

income inelastic

income elastic

normal goods

inferior goods

necessities

luxuries

cross-price elasticity of demand

substitutes

complementary goods

not related