Chapter 5: Q. 14 (page 130)
Describe the general appearance of a demand or a supply curve with infinite elasticity.
A straight line parallel to the horizontal axis.
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What would the gasoline price elasticity of supply mean to UPS or FedEx?
Why is the demand curve with constant unitary elasticity concave?
From the data in Table 5.5 about demand for smart phones, calculate the price elasticity of demand from: point B to point C, point D to point E, and point G to point H. Classify the elasticity at each point as elastic, inelastic, or unit elastic.
| Points | P | Q |
| A | 60 | 3,000 |
| B | 70 | 2,800 |
| C | 80 | 2,600 |
| D | 90 | 2,400 |
| E | 100 | 2,200 |
| F | 110 | 2,000 |
| G | 120 | 1,800 |
| H | 130 | 1,600 |
Table 5.5
A city has built a bridge over a river and it decides
to charge a toll to everyone who crosses. For one year,
the city charges a variety of different tolls and records
information on how many drivers cross the bridge. The
city thus gathers information about elasticity of demand.
If the city wishes to raise as much revenue as possible
from the tolls, where will the city decide to charge a toll:
in the inelastic portion of the demand curve, the elastic
portion of the demand curve, or the unit elastic portion?
Explain.
What is the price elasticity of demand? Can you explain it in your own words?
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