平狄克《微观经济学》课后答案 2.docVIP

Chapter 2: The Basics of Supply and Demand PAGE PAGE 15 Chapter 2: The Basics of Supply and Demand PAGE 4 CHAPTER 2 THE BASICS OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND TEACHING NOTES This chapter departs from the standard treatment of supply and demand basics found in most other intermediate microeconomics textbooks by discussing some of the world’s most important markets (wheat, gasoline, and automobiles) and teaching students how to analyze these markets with the tools of supply and demand. Although most of the discussion of economic theory in this chapter serves as a review, the real-world applications of this theory will be enlightening for students, particularly the material covered in Section 2.5 and Examples 2.5 and 2.6. Some problems plague the understanding of supply and demand analysis. One of the most common sources of confusion is between movements along the demand curve and shifts in demand. Through a discussion of the ceteris paribus assumption, stress that when representing a demand function (either with a graph or an equation), all other variables are held constant. Movements along the demand curve occur only with changes in price. As the omitted factors change, the entire demand function shifts. Students may also find a review of how to solve two equations with two unknowns helpful. To stress the quantitative aspects of the demand curve to students, make the distinction between quantity demanded as a function of price, Q = D(P), and the inverse demand function, where price is a function of the quantity demanded, P = D -1(Q). This may clarify the positioning of price on the Y-axis and quantity on the X-axis. Students may also question how the market adjusts to a new equilibrium. One simple mechanism is the partial-adjustment cobweb model. A discussion of the cobweb model (based on traditional corn-hog cycle or any other example) adds a certain realism to the discussion and is much appreciated by students. Although this chapter introduces demand, income