inelastic

(adjective)

Not sensitive to changes in price.

Related Terms

  • elastic
  • tax
  • supply
  • Unit Elastic
  • demand

(adjective)

Demand for a good is inelastic when a change in price has a relatively small effect on the quantity of the good demanded.

Related Terms

  • elastic
  • tax
  • supply
  • Unit Elastic
  • demand

Examples of inelastic in the following topics:

  • Definition of Price Elasticity of Supply

    • Supply is "perfectly inelastic."
    • Inelastic goods are often described as necessities.
    • Examples of inelastic goods would be water, gasoline, housing, and food.
    • The elasticity of a good will be labelled as perfectly elastic, relatively elastic, unit elastic, relatively inelastic, or perfectly inelastic.
    • Differentiate between the price elasticity of demand for elastic and inelastic goods
  • Applications of Elasticities

    • For inelastic demand, the overall supply and demand of a product is not substantially impacted by an increase in price.
    • Products that are usually inelastic consist of necessities like food, water, housing, and gasoline.
    • Whether or not a product is elastic or inelastic is directly related to consumer needs and preferences.
    • If demand is perfectly inelastic, then the same amount of the product will be purchased regardless of the price.
    • Give examples of inelastic and elastic supply in the real world
  • Taxation Impact on Economic Output

    • Because supply is inelastic, the firm will produce the same quantity no matter what the price.
    • Because production is inelastic, the amount sold changes significantly.
    • Consumption is inelastic, so the consumer will consume the same quantity no matter the price.
    • If one party is comparatively more inelastic than the other, they will pay the majority of the tax.
    • When supply is inelastic but demand is elastic, the majority of the tax is paid for by the consumer.
  • Tax Incidence and Elasticity

    • If a producer is inelastic, he will produce the same quantity no matter what the price.
    • Because the producer is inelastic, the price does not change much.
    • In general, the tax burden will be greater for the group exhibiting the greater relative inelasticity.
    • In a scenario with inelastic supply and elastic demand, the tax burden falls disproportionately on suppliers.
  • Interpretations of Price Elasticity of Demand

    • When PED is less than one, demand is inelastic.
    • The effect of price changes on total revenue PED may be important for businesses attempting to distinguish how to maximize revenue For example, if a business finds out its PED is very inelastic, it may want to raise its prices because it knows that it can sell its products for a higher price without losing many sales.
    • The second is perfectly inelastic demand.
    • Perfectly inelastic demand is graphed as a vertical line and indicates a price elasticity of zero at every point of the curve.
    • Perfectly inelastic demand is graphed as a vertical line.
  • Defining Price Elasticity of Demand

    • In general, the demand for a good is said to be inelastic (or relatively inelastic) when the PED is less than one (in absolute value): that is, changes in price have a less than proportional effect on the quantity of the good demanded.
    • A PED coefficient equal to zero indicates perfectly inelastic demand.
    • When demand is perfectly inelastic, quantity demanded for a good does not change in response to a change in price.
  • Measuring the Price Elasticity of Supply

    • When calculating the price elasticity of supply, economists determine whether the quantity supplied of a good is elastic or inelastic.
    • PES = 0: Supply is perfectly inelastic.
  • Determinants of Price Elasticity of Demand

    • Conversely, if no substitutes are available, demand for a good is more likely to be inelastic.
    • In contrast, demand will tend to be inelastic when a good represents only a negligible portion of the budget.
    • Brand loyalty: An attachment to a certain brand (either out of tradition or because of proprietary barriers) can override sensitivity to price changes, resulting in more inelastic demand.
  • Tax Incidence, Efficiency, and Fairness

    • If the product (apples) is price inelastic to the consumer (whereby if price rose, a small demand loss would be accounted for by the extra revenue), the farmer is able to pass the entire tax on to consumers of apples by raising the price by $1.
    • Tax incidence falls mostly upon the group that responds least to price (the group that has the most inelastic price-quantity curve).
    • If the demand curve is inelastic relative to the supply curve the tax will be disproportionately borne by the buyer rather than the seller.
    • In the example provided, the tax burden falls disproportionately on the party exhibiting relatively more inelasticity in the situation.
  • Impact of Changing Price on Producer Surplus

    • When supply is inelastic, producers cannot change production easily.
    • When supply is perfectly inelastic, it is depicted as a vertical line.
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