Preview

Supply and Demand - Microeconomics

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
933 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Supply and Demand - Microeconomics
Economics as defined in the text is 'the study of how human beings coordinate their wants and desires, given the decision-making mechanisms, social customs, and political realities of the society'. (Colander, 5th Ed) Encarta defines economics as 'the study of production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services'. So basically economics is how to produce something people want, whether it is a tangible item or a service to them. This study however is not as cut and dry as it may sound, for humans are fickle and finicky by nature.

The study of economics and be divided into microeconomics and macroeconomics. Macroeconomics is the study of the entire economy in a society. It takes into consideration the rate of inflation, business cycles, business growth and the rate of unemployment. Microeconomics is the study of individuals and how their choices influence the flow of the economy. For example, the price of gas in California is about 10% higher than the national average. California is one of the largest states in the USA in population and land. Californians choose to drive everywhere and mostly alone, causing the demand for petroleum in the state to rise immensely which increases the supply.

The Law of Supply states that the amount of product supplied increases as the prices increase as long as other factors are constant, and vice versa, if supplies decrease so will the prices. The Law of Demand states that the amount of product demanded rises as the prices fall or prices rise when the amount of product demanded falls so long as all other factors are equal.

An article on Gasoline Supply and Demand by Reuters on August 28, 2006 discusses the price increases due to supply and demand of petroleum in the United States.

Due to the way Americans are used to living their lives and their every day habits, the demand of gasoline has increased. The United States' inability and/or refusal to refine oil within the country created a demand for the outsourcing from

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    The law of demand is if the demand of something goes up then the supply will go down and vice versa for the law of supply.…

    • 381 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    ECON 545 Project 1

    • 730 Words
    • 3 Pages

    States further away from the Gulf Coast (where almost half of the gasoline in the U.S. is produced) see an increase in oil cost due to the fees added on for transportation of the gas from the oil refinery. Due to the distance the oil has to travel the West Coast and Rocky Mountain regions usually pay more for gas. (2)…

    • 730 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The most significant factor in the production of gas is crude oil. The prices in gas fall and rise due to the cost of crude which is established by supply and demand on the global commodities market. During the recession in 2008 and 2009, the gas prices went down because of less demand. However, as the economy progresses, the demand is rising. In the meantime with conflict in the Middle East and North Africa, the supply is at risk. With both the rising demand and the risk of reduced supply, gas prices are increasing. Crude oil comprises of more than 65 % of what Americans pay at the pump. In addition, gas prices are impacted by costs of refining, distribution, government and marketing taxes (API, 2013). This information is especially important to those who…

    • 1197 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    - Over the last few years the cost of fuel has increased due to the supply of oil,…

    • 1060 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Eco 365 Week 1

    • 708 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The following article is regarding what is most important to everyone around us regarding the pricing for gasoline at the pumps. This is a topic that concerns most people on this planet, why are the prices for gasoline so high and is it regarding the greed of oil producing companies to continue to keep rising the gasoline prices as high as possible. We will discuss the many reasons why these fluctuating pricing keeps occurring within our world market. We will use the retail gasoline pricing between the years of 2000 to 2007 to research this report.…

    • 708 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Week 1 Eco 365

    • 635 Words
    • 3 Pages

    According to Glantz (2012), the increased of oil export from the East Bay was linked to the economic changes and the way individuals are consuming in the United States. Also, in the West Coast they also saw the same increase in demand for oils as the demand for domestic used was lowered. For example: higher gas prices, manufactures vehicle that are fuel efficient and fewer individuals commuting to and from work have all contributed to the changes in the demand for such oils consumption. Additionally, the economy and individuals losing their job also changed the demand because they no longer needed to commute to work. Therefore, the demand for oils was no longer needed causing the prices of the gasoline to increase.…

    • 635 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    econ 545

    • 1206 Words
    • 5 Pages

    But in the news, you continue to hear of crude oil shortages. Big Oil Companies reported huge profits on high gasoline prices continuously for the past 4 months. The Big Five oil companies made $36 billion in profits in the second quarter of 2011. Consumers are now looking for alternative solutions in transportation because of the unsavory price fluctuation of gasoline prices while oil companies post major profits. Another factor affecting the price of gasoline is the price of the crude oil the raw material that the gas is produced from. On the marketplace many factors can affect the price of the crude oil and the gasoline that…

    • 1206 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Econ 101 Intro notes

    • 613 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Economics: the study of the choices people make and the actions they take in order to make the best use of scarce resources in meeting their wants and needs…

    • 613 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Fuel prices began to rise because the supply of oil was not meeting the ever-increasing demand for fuel. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), a group of nations that determines what the guidelines for world fuel exports should be, lowered the production quotas in 1999, even though the demand for oil was rising around the world ((Facts.com, 2005). During this time, in the United States, the demand for oil was increasing due to the strong economy. Asia's economy was also rebounding from an economic crash in 1997 (Facts.com, 2005). These two factors allowed more consumers to travel further distances in larger cars. Consumers began to feel more confident in the economy and were not so money conscious. Instead of the small, fuel-efficient cars, consumers began to buy sport-utility vehicles (SUVs) that required large quantities of gas. Gas prices were a dollar lower in 2000 than they were in 1987 (Facts.com, 2005). Gas costs were lower per gallon than Coca-Cola, milk, and orange juice and significantly lower than olive oil and eye drops (Facts.com, 2005). Consumers would use this reasoning to justify purchases of the fuel hungry SUVs. Americans were encouraged by the government to rethink the purchases of these gas-devouring vehicles and to place more concern in fuel alternatives to…

    • 1005 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Econ Study Guide

    • 2117 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Economics: The study of how human beings coordinate their wants and desires given the decision making mechanism, social customs and political realities of society.…

    • 2117 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Equilibrium Paper

    • 658 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Law of Demand states “As price falls, the quantity demanded rises, and as price rises, the quantity demanded falls. In short, there is a negative or inverse relationship between price and quantity demanded” (McConnell, Brue, & Flynn, 2009). The Law of Supply states “As price rises, the quantity supplied rises; as price falls, the quantity supplied falls” (McConnell, Brue, & Flynn, 2009).…

    • 658 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    An unexpected freeze in central Florida reduced the citrus crop and caused the price of oranges to rise.…

    • 16320 Words
    • 66 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    As of right now there is a pretty strong supply of gasoline throughout the country. A strong supply of gasoline and the low demand for it have been linked to the struggling economy, which in terms has have lowered the price of gas. Gas prices are expected to drop a little more, but big drops in gas prices are said to be over unless the country falls back into the recession.…

    • 462 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Essay Supply and demand

    • 633 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Explain (in your own words) the dynamics of equilibrium price. That means to say, teach me step-by-step how the laws of supply and demand combine with basic assumptions about shortages and surpluses to lead to a concept of market equilibrium. In this essay, be sure to include definitions and examples.…

    • 633 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Supply & Demand

    • 345 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The supply and demand process can be somewhat difficult and knowing the fundamental factors on both sides is essential to business success. Focusing on the Chick-fil-A fast food chain, there are factors that are a determinant to supply and demand. A technology change, the price of substituting goods, population changes and consumer preferences all impact business operations.…

    • 345 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays