How markets work - The market forces of supply and demand - Supply and demand together

4 important questions on How markets work - The market forces of supply and demand - Supply and demand together

Why do actions of buyers and sellers, move a market towards an equilibrium point, when there is a surplus?

When there is a surplus, sellers will cut prices. Falling prices will increase the quantity demanded, and decrease the quantity supplied until they are equal.

What happens to the quantity supplied and quantity demanded in a market, when there is a excess supply (surplus)?

  1. Prices go down: suppliers try to increase sales by cutting prices.
  2. Quantity demanded goes up: falling prices.
  3. Quantity supplied goes down: less profitable.


Until equilibrium point is reached.

What is the law of supply and demand?

The price of any good always adjusts to bring the quantity supplied and quantity demanded for that good into balance.
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What are the three steps to analyse changes in market equilibrium (a shift of the equilibrium point)?

  1. Which curve is shifted by the event? Supply, demand or both?
  2. Is the curve shifted to the left or the right?
  3. In the supply-and-demand diagram; compare the initial equilibrium point with the new equilibrium point, which shows how the shift affects the equilibrium price and equilibrium quantity.

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