Perfectly Elastic Demand

Definition

Perfectly elastic demand refers to a situation where the quantity demanded of a good or service is infinitely responsive to changes in price. In other words, even the slightest change in price will result in a complete shift in the quantity demanded, with consumers being willing to buy an unlimited amount at the new price.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Perfectly elastic demand is a theoretical concept, and it is rarely observed in the real world.
2. In the case of perfectly elastic demand, the demand curve is represented by a horizontal line, indicating that consumers will buy an unlimited quantity at the prevailing market price.
3. Perfectly elastic demand is often associated with commodities or goods with close substitutes, where consumers can easily switch between alternatives.
4. The concept of perfectly elastic demand is important in understanding the polar cases of elasticity and the impact of price changes on the quantity demanded.
5. Perfectly elastic demand is a key assumption in the analysis of constant elasticity, which is used to model the relationship between price and quantity demanded.

Review Questions

• Explain the concept of perfectly elastic demand and how it relates to the polar cases of elasticity.
  • Perfectly elastic demand is a theoretical concept where the quantity demanded of a good or service is infinitely responsive to changes in price. In this scenario, even the slightest change in price will result in a complete shift in the quantity demanded, with consumers being willing to buy an unlimited amount at the new price. This is one of the polar cases of elasticity, the other being perfectly inelastic demand, where the quantity demanded does not change at all in response to price changes. Understanding these polar cases is crucial for analyzing the relationship between price and quantity demanded, as well as the impact of price changes on consumer behavior.
• Describe the characteristics of a good or service that would exhibit perfectly elastic demand, and explain how this relates to the concept of constant elasticity.
  • Goods or services with perfectly elastic demand are typically commodities or products with close substitutes, where consumers can easily switch between alternatives. In this case, the demand curve is represented by a horizontal line, indicating that consumers will buy an unlimited quantity at the prevailing market price. The concept of perfectly elastic demand is closely linked to the idea of constant elasticity, which models the relationship between price and quantity demanded. Constant elasticity assumes that the elasticity of demand remains constant regardless of the price or quantity of the good or service. Perfectly elastic demand is an example of a special case of constant elasticity, where the elasticity is infinitely high and the demand curve is perfectly horizontal.
• Analyze the implications of perfectly elastic demand on the behavior of producers and the overall market equilibrium, and explain how this relates to the study of microeconomic principles.
  • The concept of perfectly elastic demand has significant implications for the behavior of producers and the overall market equilibrium. In a market with perfectly elastic demand, producers have no pricing power, as any attempt to raise prices would result in a complete loss of sales. This means that producers must accept the prevailing market price and adjust their output accordingly to meet the unlimited demand at that price. The study of perfectly elastic demand, as well as the other polar case of perfectly inelastic demand, is a fundamental part of microeconomic principles. These concepts help us understand the relationship between price and quantity, the factors that influence demand elasticity, and the implications for producer and consumer behavior. Mastering these principles is crucial for analyzing market dynamics, predicting the effects of price changes, and making informed decisions in a wide range of economic contexts.

Related terms

Elasticity of Demand: Elasticity of demand measures the responsiveness of the quantity demanded of a good or service to changes in its price.

Polar Cases of Elasticity: Polar cases of elasticity refer to the two extreme scenarios of demand elasticity: perfectly elastic demand and perfectly inelastic demand.

Constant Elasticity:

Constant elasticity is a concept in economics where the elasticity of demand remains constant regardless of the price or quantity of a good or service.