Math Problem Statement

Bugs Bunny has a boba tea shop in downtown SLC. He decreased his prices from $18 to $10 and saw an increase in quantity sold from 80 units to 100 units. Calculate the own-price elasticity of demand at $10. Please round your answer to 2 decimal places.

Solution

To calculate the own-price elasticity of demand (PED), we use the following formula:

PED=%change in quantity demanded%change in price\text{PED} = \frac{\% \text{change in quantity demanded}}{\% \text{change in price}}

Where:

  • %change in quantity demanded=new quantityold quantityold quantity×100\% \text{change in quantity demanded} = \frac{\text{new quantity} - \text{old quantity}}{\text{old quantity}} \times 100
  • %change in price=new priceold priceold price×100\% \text{change in price} = \frac{\text{new price} - \text{old price}}{\text{old price}} \times 100

Let's break it down step by step.

1. Calculate the percentage change in quantity demanded:

  • Old quantity = 80 units
  • New quantity = 100 units

%change in quantity=1008080×100=25%\% \text{change in quantity} = \frac{100 - 80}{80} \times 100 = 25\%

2. Calculate the percentage change in price:

  • Old price = $18
  • New price = $10

%change in price=101818×100=44.44%\% \text{change in price} = \frac{10 - 18}{18} \times 100 = -44.44\%

3. Apply the values to the PED formula:

PED=2544.440.56\text{PED} = \frac{25}{-44.44} \approx -0.56

Thus, the own-price elasticity of demand at $10 is approximately -0.56 (rounded to 2 decimal places).

This indicates that the demand is inelastic since the absolute value of the PED is less than 1.

Would you like further details or have any questions?


Here are 5 related questions:

  1. What does it mean when demand is inelastic?
  2. How does the elasticity of demand impact a business’s pricing strategy?
  3. Can you explain the concept of perfectly inelastic demand?
  4. How would the elasticity change if the price dropped to $5 and the quantity increased to 150 units?
  5. What factors could influence the elasticity of demand for boba tea?

Tip: Elasticity of demand helps businesses understand how sensitive consumers are to price changes, guiding pricing decisions effectively.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Elasticity of Demand
Percentage Change

Formulas

PED = (% change in quantity demanded) / (% change in price)
% change in quantity demanded = (new quantity - old quantity) / old quantity * 100
% change in price = (new price - old price) / old price * 100

Theorems

Law of Demand

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 10-12