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demand
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a relation showing the quantities of a good that consumers are willing and able to buy per period at various prices, other things constant
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law of demand
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the quantity demanded of a good demanded per period relates inversely to its price, other things constant
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marginal utility
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the change in total utility resulting from a one-unit change in consumption of a good
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law of diminishing marginal utility
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the more of a good an individual consumes per period, other things constant, the smaller the marginal utility of each additional unit consumed
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demand curve
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a curve or line showing the quantities of a particular good demanded at various prices during a given time period, other things constant
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quantity demanded
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the amount demanded at a particular price
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individual demand
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the demand of an individual consumer
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market demanded
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the sum of the individual demands of all consumers in the market
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elasticity of demand
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measures how responsive quantity demanded is to a price change; the percent change in quantity demanded divided by the percent change in price
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total revenue
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price multiplied by the quantity demanded at that price
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tastes
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a consumer's likes and dislikes
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movement along a demand curve
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change in quantity demanded resulting from a change in the price of the good, other things constant
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shift of a demand curve
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increase or decrease in demand resulting from a change in one of the determinants of demand other than the price of the good
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supply
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a relation showing the quantities of a good producers are willing and able to sell at various prices during a given period, other things constant
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law of supply
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the quantity of a good supplied during a given time period is usually directly related to its price, other things constant
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supply curve
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a curve, or line, showing the quantities of a particular good supplied at various prices during a given time period, other things constant
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movement along a supply curve
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change in quantity supplied resulting from a change in the price of the good, other things constant
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shift of a supply curve
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increase or decrease in supply resulting from a change in one of the determinants of supply other than the price of the good
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short run
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a period during which at least one of a firm's resources is fixed
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long run
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a period during which all of a firm's resources can be varied
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total product
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the total output of the firm per period
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marginal product
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the change in total product resulting from a one-unit change in a particular resource, all other resources constant
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law of diminishing returns
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as more of a variable resource is added to a given amount of other resources, marginal product eventually declines and could become negative
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fixed cost
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any production cost that is independent of the firm's output
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variable cost
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any production cost that changes as output changes
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total cost
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the sum of fixed cost and variable cost
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marginal cost
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the change in total cos resulting from a one-unit change in output; the change in total cost divided by the change in output
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marginal revenue
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the change in total revenue from selling another unit of the good
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economies of scale
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forces that reduce a firm's average cost as the firm's size, or scale, increase in the long run
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long-run average cost curve
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a curve that indicates the lowest average cost of production at each rate of output when the firm's size is allowed to vary
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market equilibrium
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when the quantity consumers are willing and able to buy equals the quantity producers are willing and able to sell
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surplus
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at a given price, the amount by which quantity supplied exceeds quantity demanded; a surplus usually forces the price down
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shortage
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at a given price, the amount by which quantity demanded exceeds quantity supplied; a shortage usually forces the price up
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transaction costs
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the costs of time and information needed to carry out market exchange
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increase in demand
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consumers are willing and able to buy more of the product at each price
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decrease in demand
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consumers are willing and able to buy less of the product at each price
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increase in supply
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producers are willing and able to sell more of the product at each price
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decrease in supply
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producers are willing and able to sell less of the product at each price
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productive efficiency
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occurs when a firm produces at the lowest possible cost per unit
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allocative efficiency
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occurs when a firm produces the output most valued by consumers
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disequilibrium
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a mismatch between quantity demanded and quantity supplied at the market seeks equilibrium; usually temporary, except when government intervenes to set the price
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price floor
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a minimum legal price below which a product cannot be sold
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price ceiling
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a maximum legal selling price above which a product cannot be sold
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consumer surplus
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the difference between the most that consumers are willing and able to pay for a given quantity of a good and what they actually pay
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behavioral economics
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an approach that borrows insights from psychology to help explain economic choices
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bounded rationality
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there are limits to the amount of information people can comprehend and act on
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limited willpower
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limited self-discipline in following through with decisions that are in one's self-interest, especially one's long-term interest
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neuroeconomics
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the mapping of brain activity while subjects make economic choices to develop better models of economic decision making
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demand is elastic if...
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> 1.0
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unit elastic if...
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equal to 1.0
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inelastic if...
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between 0 and 1.0