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3.6: Key Terms

  • Page ID
    215591
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    Example and Directions
    Words (or words that have the same definition) The definition is case sensitive (Optional) Image to display with the definition [Not displayed in Glossary, only in pop-up on pages] (Optional) Caption for Image (Optional) External or Internal Link (Optional) Source for Definition
    (Eg. "Genetic, Hereditary, DNA ...") (Eg. "Relating to genes or heredity") The infamous double helix https://bio.libretexts.org/ CC-BY-SA; Delmar Larsen
    Glossary Entries
    Word(s) Definition Image Caption Link Source
    ceteris paribus other things being equal        
    complements goods that are often used together so that consumption of one good tends to enhance consumption of the other        
    consumer surplus the extra benefit consumers receive from buying a good or service, measured by what the individuals would have been willing to pay minus the amount that they actually paid        
    deadweight loss the loss in social surplus that occurs when a market produces an inefficient quantity        
    demand the relationship between price and the quantity demanded of a certain good or service        
    demand curve a graphic representation of the relationship between price and quantity demanded of a certain good or service, with quantity on the horizontal axis and the price on the vertical axis        
    demand schedule a table that shows a range of prices for a certain good or service and the quantity demanded at each price        
    economic surplus see social surplus        
    equilibrium the situation where quantity demanded is equal to the quantity supplied; the combination of price and quantity where there is no economic pressure from surpluses or shortages that would cause price or quantity to change        
    equilibrium price the price where quantity demanded is equal to quantity supplied        
    equilibrium quantity the quantity at which quantity demanded and quantity supplied are equal for a certain price level        
    excess demand at the existing price, the quantity demanded exceeds the quantity supplied; also called a shortage        
    excess supply at the existing price, quantity supplied exceeds the quantity demanded; also called a surplus        
    factors of production the resources such as labor, materials, and machinery that are used to produce goods and services; also called inputs        
    inferior good a good in which the quantity demanded falls as income rises, and in which quantity demanded rises and income falls        
    inputs the resources such as labor, materials, and machinery that are used to produce goods and services; also called factors of production        
    law of demand the common relationship that a higher price leads to a lower quantity demanded of a certain good or service and a lower price leads to a higher quantity demanded, while all other variables are held constant        
    law of supply the common relationship that a higher price leads to a greater quantity supplied and a lower price leads to a lower quantity supplied, while all other variables are held constant        
    normal good a good in which the quantity demanded rises as income rises, and in which quantity demanded falls as income falls        
    price what a buyer pays for a unit of the specific good or service        
    price ceiling a legal maximum price        
    price control government laws to regulate prices instead of letting market forces determine prices        
    price floor a legal minimum price        
    producer surplus the extra benefit producers receive from selling a good or service, measured by the price the producer actually received minus the price the producer would have been willing to accept        
    quantity demanded the total number of units of a good or service consumers are willing to purchase at a given price        
    quantity supplied the total number of units of a good or service producers are willing to sell at a given price        
    shift in demand when a change in some economic factor (other than price) causes a different quantity to be demanded at every price        
    shift in supply when a change in some economic factor (other than price) causes a different quantity to be supplied at every price        
    shortage at the existing price, the quantity demanded exceeds the quantity supplied; also called excess demand        
    social surplus the sum of consumer surplus and producer surplus        
    substitute a good that can replace another to some extent, so that greater consumption of one good can mean less of the other        
    supply the relationship between price and the quantity supplied of a certain good or service        
    supply curve a line that shows the relationship between price and quantity supplied on a graph, with quantity supplied on the horizontal axis and price on the vertical axis        
    supply schedule a table that shows a range of prices for a good or service and the quantity supplied at each price        
    surplus at the existing price, quantity supplied exceeds the quantity demanded; also called excess supply        
    total surplus see social surplus        

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