Introduction - Thinking like an economist - Graphing

14 important questions on Introduction - Thinking like an economist - Graphing

What are examples of a graph of a single variable?

Pie charts, bar graphs, time-series graphs.

What are examples of graphs with two variables?

Any type of graph with a coordinate system. X-axis and Y-axis.

What is the demand curve?


The demand curve traces out the effect of a good's price on the quantity of the good consumers want to buy.

The demand curve represents the relationship between price and quantity demanded.
  • Higher grades + faster learning
  • Never study anything twice
  • 100% sure, 100% understanding
Discover Study Smart

What is the difference between positive and negative correlation?

Positive correlation is when two variables move in the same direction on a graph.
Negative correlation is when two variables move in the opposite direction on the graph.

Why in econonimics do we sometimes hold one variable constant?

In order to see how one variable affects another, it's best to keep another variable constant.
Ex: income as a constant, when looking at the demand curve.

In which direction does the demand curve shift, if income increases?

The demand curve shifts to the right, because the quantity purchased (x-axis), increases, and the price (y-axis) has not changed.

When is it necessary to shift a curve?

Whenever a relevant variable that is not named on either axis, changes.

What is the slope of a line?


Slope tells how much one variable responds to changes in another variable.
The slope of a line is the ratio of the vertical distance covered to the horizontal distance covered.
Slope = dY/dX.

What can we conclude about the sensitivity to price, when looking at steep and flat demand curves?


A steep demand curve indicates little price sensitivity.
A flat demand curve indicates alot of price sensitivity.

How do economists argue about cause and effect?

Using graphs.

Why should economists use caution when drawing conslusions about cause and effect, when using graphs?

Because there might be:
- Omitted variables.
- Reverse causality.

How can an omitted variable become a problem, when making conclusions about the relationship between two variables?

When we are not able to keep the omitted variable constant.

How can reverse causality become a problem, when making conclusions about the relationship between two variables?

By misreading the direction of causality.

Why is it wrong to watch which variable moves first, when determining the direction of causality?

Because people change their behavior in response to change in their expectations, not in response to present conditions.

The question on the page originate from the summary of the following study material:

  • A unique study and practice tool
  • Never study anything twice again
  • Get the grades you hope for
  • 100% sure, 100% understanding
Remember faster, study better. Scientifically proven.
Trustpilot Logo