2. Elasticity of Demand
โข Percentage change in the Quantity demanded of a good due to percentage
change in the price of the good is called elasticity of demand.
Or
โข Degree of responsiveness or sensitivity of quantity demand of a good due to
change in the price of the good is called price elasticity of demand.
ฮทd= ๐ธ ๐ =
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐โ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐ก๐๐ก๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐โ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐
3. Methods to Measure Elasticity of Demand
Methods to
measure Elasticity
of Demand
Total Outlay
Method
Percentage
method
Point Elasticity
Arc Elasticity
Geometric
Method
4. Total Outlay (Expenditure) Method
Under this method total expenditure made on the good before change in price and
after change price are compared.
If Total Expenditure remain Same then Elasticity of demand is equal to one.
If Total Expenditure increases, then Elasticity of demand is Greater than one.
If Total Expenditure decreases, then Elasticity of demand is less than one.
Ed =
๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐ธ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐โ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐โ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐
According to this method, by comparing the total expenditures of the consumer both
before and after change in price of a product, it can be known whether demand
elasticity for product is one, less than one or more than one.
6. The Demand Curve having
Elasticity equal to one. (๏จ=1)
D
D
40
20
126 Qd
P
As the price decreases from 40 to
20 The quantity increases from 6
units to 12 units.
The Change in the quantity is
proportional to change in the price.
0
Price Qd Total
Expenditure
40 6 240
20 12 240
ฮทd = 1
7. The Demand Curve having
Elasticity less than one. (๏จ<1)
D
D
40
20
86 Qd
P
As the price decreases from 40 to
20, The quantity increases from
6 to 8 units.
The percentage Change in the
quantity is less than percentage
change in the price.
0
Price Qd Total
Expenditure
40 6 240
20 8 160
ฮทd < 1
8. The Demand Curve having Elasticity
greater than one. (๏จ>1)
D
D
40
20
186 Qd
P
As the price decreases from 40 to 20,
The quantity demanded increases
from 6 to 18.
The percentage Change in the quantity
is greater than percentage change in
the price.
Price Qd Total
Expenditure
40 6 240
20 18 360
9. 6 Qd
D
D
40
20
12
P
0
ฮทd = 1
D
D
40
20
86 Qd
P
0
ฮทd < 1
D
D
40
20
186 Qd
P
ฮทd > 1
Total Outlay (Expenditure) Method
ฮทd = 1 Vs ฮทd < 1 Vs ฮทd > 1
10. Percentage Method
(Formula / Priori / Mathematical/ Arithmetical / Proportionate )
ฮทd= ๐ธ๐ =
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐โ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐ก๐๐ก๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐โ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐
Percentage change in the Quantity demanded of a good due to
percentage change in the price of the good is called elasticity of demand.
Percentage
method
Point
Elasticity
Arc
Elasticity
11. Percentage Method
(Formula / Priori / Mathematical/ Arithmetical / Proportionate )
Percentage change in the Quantity demanded of a good due to very small change
in the price of the good. Such that apparently there is only one point on the
demand curve, is called point elasticity of demand.
Point Elasticity of Demand
D
D
P1
P2
Q2Q1
Qd
P
0
12. Percentage Method
(Formula / Priori / Mathematical/ Arithmetical / Proportionate )
=
๐2 โ ๐1
๐
๐2 โ ๐1
๐
=
โ๐
๐
โ๐
๐
=
โ๐
๐
ร
๐
โ๐
=
โ๐
โ๐
ร
๐
๐
Percentage change in the Quantity demanded of a good due to very small change
in the price of the good. Such that apparently there is only one point on the
demand curve, is called point elasticity of demand.
Point Elasticity of Demand
ฮทd= ๐ธ๐ =
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐โ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐ก๐๐ก๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐โ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐
=
๐2 โ๐1
๐
ร100
๐2 โ๐1
๐
ร100
D
D
P1
P2
Q1 Q
P
0 Q2
13. Percentage Method
(Formula / Priori / Mathematical/ Arithmetical / Proportionate )
=
๐2 โ ๐1
๐2 + ๐1
2
๐2 โ ๐1
๐2 + ๐1
2
=
โ๐
๐2 + ๐1
โ๐
๐2 + ๐1
=
โ๐
๐2 + ๐1
ร
๐2 + ๐1
โ๐
=
โ๐
โ๐
ร
๐2 + ๐1
๐2 + ๐1
Percentage change in the Quantity demanded of a good due to comparatively
significant large change in the price of the good. Such that there appear two
distinct points on the demand curve, is called Arc elasticity of demand.
Arc Elasticity of Demand
ฮทd= ๐ธ๐ =
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐โ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐ก๐๐ก๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐โ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐
=
๐2 โ๐1
๐2+๐1
2
ร100
๐2 โ๐1
๐2+๐1
2
ร100
D
D
P1
P2
Q2Q1 Qd
P
0
A
B
14. Geometric Method
Geometric method was suggested by
Prof. Marshall and is used to measure the
elasticity at a point on the demand curve. When
there are infinitely small changes in price and
demand, then the โGeometric Methodโ is used.
This method is also known as โGraphic
Methodโ or โPoint Methodโ or โArc Methodโ.
Elasticity of demand (Ed) is different at
different points on the same straight line
demand curve.
In order to measure Ed at any
particular point, lower portion of the curve
from that point is divided by the upper portion
of the curve from the same point.
๐ธ๐ =
Lower segment of demand curve (LS)
Upper segment of demand curve (US)
P
Q Quantity
Demand
Price
0
N
15. ฮทd= ๐ธ๐ =
Lower segment of demand curve (LS)
Upper segment of demand curve (US)
E
D Quantity Demand
Price
0
B
A
C
Ed = 1
Ed < 1
Ed > 1
Ed = โ
Ed = 0
Geometric Method
16. Two Extremes of Elasticity of Demand
1 Perfectly inelastic demand: The Demand Curve having
Elasticity equal to zero (๏จ=0)
2 Perfectly Elastic Demand: The Demand Curve having
Elasticity equal to infinity (๏จ=๏ฅ)
17. The Demand Curve having
Elasticity equal to zero (๏จ=0)
As the price decreases from
P1 to P2 The quantity do not
change.
There is no Change in the
quantity as price changes from
P1 to P2.
Perfectly inelastic demand
D
D
Price
P1
Q
0
P2
Quantity
Demand
18. The Demand Curve having Elasticity
equal to infinity (๏จ=๏ฅ)
D D
P
Q1Q Quantity
Demanded
Price
At a certain price the quantity increases
from Q to Q1.
There is no change in the price while there
is change in the quantity from Q to Q1.
Perfectly elastic demand
19. Income Elasticity of demand
Percentage change in the Quantity demanded of a good due to percentage change
in the income of the consumer is called Income elasticity of demand.
=
๐2 โ ๐1
๐2 + ๐1
2
๐2 โ ๐1
๐2 + ๐1
2
=
โ๐
๐2 + ๐1
โ๐
๐2 + ๐1
=
โ๐
๐2 + ๐1
ร
๐2 + ๐1
โ๐
=
โ๐
โ๐
ร
๐2 + ๐1
๐2 + ๐1
ฮทY= ๐ธ ๐ =
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐โ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐ก๐๐ก๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐โ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐ถ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐๐๐
=
๐2 โ๐1
๐2+๐1
2
ร100
๐2 โ๐1
๐2+๐1
2
ร100
20. Cross Elasticity of demand
Percentage change in the Quantity demanded of a good due to percentage change in
the price of its substitute or complementary good is called cross elasticity of demand.
ฮทX= ๐ธ ๐ =
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐โ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐ก๐๐ก๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ด
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐โ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ต
=
๐2๐ด โ ๐1๐ด
๐2๐ด + ๐1๐ด
๐2๐ต โ ๐1๐ต
๐2๐ต + ๐1๐ต
=
โ๐๐ด
๐2๐ด + ๐๐ด
โ๐๐ต
๐2๐ต + ๐1๐ต
=
โ๐๐ด
๐2๐ด + ๐1๐ด
ร
๐2๐ต + ๐1๐ต
โ๐๐ต
=
โ๐๐ด
โ๐๐ต
ร
๐2๐ต+๐1๐ต
๐2๐ด+๐1๐ต
=
๐2๐ด โ ๐1๐ด
๐2๐ด + ๐1๐ด
2
ร 100
๐2๐ต โ ๐1๐ต
๐2๐ต + ๐1๐ต
2
ร 100
21. 0 < E < (for absolute values of elasticity)
Unit ElasticPerfectly Inelastic Perfectly Elastic
ElasticInelastic
E = 1
E = 0
E < 1
E >1
E = โ
P
Qd
Qd
Qd
Qd
Qd
P
P
P
P