Math Problem Statement

Suppose the demand for a certain brand of sandals is given by the equation Q= 1000 - 20P , where Q is the quantity demanded and P is the price. Calculate the own-price elasticity of demand if the price declines from $30 to $25. Please round your answer to 2 decimal places.

Solution

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

PED=% Change in Quantity Demanded% Change in Price\text{PED} = \frac{\%\text{ Change in Quantity Demanded}}{\%\text{ Change in Price}}

Given the demand equation: Q=100020PQ = 1000 - 20P

Step 1: Find the Initial Quantity Demanded (Q1Q_1) and New Quantity Demanded (Q2Q_2)

  1. Initial Price P1=30P_1 = 30: Q1=100020×30=1000600=400Q_1 = 1000 - 20 \times 30 = 1000 - 600 = 400

  2. New Price P2=25P_2 = 25: Q2=100020×25=1000500=500Q_2 = 1000 - 20 \times 25 = 1000 - 500 = 500

Step 2: Calculate the Change in Quantity Demanded and Change in Price

  1. Change in Quantity Demanded (ΔQ\Delta Q): ΔQ=Q2Q1=500400=100\Delta Q = Q_2 - Q_1 = 500 - 400 = 100

  2. Change in Price (ΔP\Delta P): ΔP=P2P1=2530=5\Delta P = P_2 - P_1 = 25 - 30 = -5

Step 3: Calculate the Percentage Changes

  1. Percentage Change in Quantity Demanded: % Change in Quantity Demanded=ΔQQ1×100=100400×100=25%\%\text{ Change in Quantity Demanded} = \frac{\Delta Q}{Q_1} \times 100 = \frac{100}{400} \times 100 = 25\%

  2. Percentage Change in Price: % Change in Price=ΔPP1×100=530×10016.67%\%\text{ Change in Price} = \frac{\Delta P}{P_1} \times 100 = \frac{-5}{30} \times 100 \approx -16.67\%

Step 4: Calculate the Own-Price Elasticity of Demand

PED=25%16.67%1.5\text{PED} = \frac{25\%}{-16.67\%} \approx -1.5

Rounding this to two decimal places: PED1.50\text{PED} \approx -1.50

The own-price elasticity of demand when the price declines from $30 to $25 is approximately -1.50.

Interpretation

Since the absolute value of the elasticity is greater than 1, the demand for this brand of sandals is elastic in this price range, meaning that the percentage change in quantity demanded is greater than the percentage change in price.


Would you like more details or have any questions?

Relative Questions:

  1. What happens to total revenue when the price is decreased for an elastic demand?
  2. How does this elasticity change if the price drops further, say from $25 to $20?
  3. What are the factors that generally affect the elasticity of demand for a product?
  4. How would a perfectly inelastic demand curve look compared to this one?
  5. How would you interpret the elasticity if the value was less than 1?

Tip:

Elasticity helps businesses understand how sensitive their consumers are to changes in price, which can be crucial for pricing strategies.

Ask a new question for Free

By Image

Drop file here or Click Here to upload

Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Elasticity of Demand
Percentage Change
Algebra

Formulas

PED = (% Change in Quantity Demanded) / (% Change in Price)
Q = 1000 - 20P
% Change in Quantity Demanded = (ΔQ / Q1) * 100
% Change in Price = (ΔP / P1) * 100

Theorems

Elasticity of Demand Theory

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 10-12