AP Microeconomics AMSCO Guided Notes

4.3: Price Discrimination

AP Microeconomics
AMSCO Guided Notes

AP Microeconomics Guided Notes

AMSCO 4.3 - Price Discrimination

Essential Questions

  1. What is price discrimination?
I. The Principles of Price Discrimination

1. What is price discrimination and under what market conditions is it possible?

2. How do differences in price elasticity of demand enable firms to practice price discrimination?

3. What are the main ways firms can price discriminate based on quantity, time, and consumer characteristics?

II. Common Examples of Price Discrimination

1. What are three common real-world examples of how firms practice price discrimination?

III. Perfect Price Discrimination

1. What is perfect price discrimination and why is it rarely achieved in practice?

2. Which type of firm has the most market power to practice perfect price discrimination?

IV. Graphing Price Discrimination

1. At what point should a firm produce to maximize profit when price discriminating?

2. What is consumer surplus and how does price discrimination affect it?

3. How does perfect price discrimination eliminate deadweight loss and transfer surplus to producers?

Key Terms

price discrimination

price elasticities of demand

perfect price discrimination

consumer surplus