The market price of cheeseburgers in a college town increased recently, and the students in an economics class are debating the cause of the price increase. Some students suggest that the price increased because the price of beef, an important ingredient for making cheeseburgers, has increased Other students attribute the increase in the price of cheeseburgers to a recent increase in the price of calzones at local pizza parlors.
Everyone agrees that the increase in the price of calzones was caused by a recent increase in the price of pizza dough, which is not generally used in making cheeseburgers. Assume that burger joints and pizza parlors are entirely separate entities-that is, there aren't places that serve both cheeseburgers and calzones.
The first group of students thinks the increase in the price of cheeseburgers is due to the fact that the price of beef, an important ingredient for making cheeseburgers, has increased.
On the following graph, adjust the supply and demand curves to illustrate the first group's explanation for the increase in the price of cheeseburgers.
The second group of students attributes the increase in the price of cheeseburgers to the increase in the price of calzones at local pizza parlors.
On the following graph, adjust the supply and demand curves to illustrate the second group's explanation for the increase in the price of cheeseburgers.
Suppose that both of the events you have just analyzed are partly responsible for the increase in the price of cheeseburgers. Based on your analysis of the explanations offered by the two groups of students, how would you figure out which of the possible causes was the dominant cause of the increase in the price of cheeseburgers?
If the equilibrium quantity of cheeseburgers increases, then the supply shift in the market for cheeseburgers must have been larger than the demand shift.
If the equilibrium quantity of cheeseburgers increases, then the demand shift in the market for cheeseburgers must have been larger than the supply shift.
Whichever change occurred first must have been the primary cause of the change in the price of cheeseburgers.
If the price increase was small, then the supply shift in the market for cheeseburgers must have been larger than the demand shift.
Increase in the price of ingredient decreases supply of pizza and shifts supply curve leftwards.
Increase in the price of calzones shifts demand in favor of pizza as pizza and calzones are substitute goods. Thus demand of pizza increases which shifts demand curve rightwards.
If the price increase was large, then the supply shift in the market for cheeseburgers must have been larger than the demand shift.
If the equilibrium quantity of cheeseburger decreases, then the supply shift in the market for cheeseburgers must have been larger than the demand shift.
In first case when the price of dough is increasing, te supply would reduce. This is because the cost of inputs has risen, which would increase the cost of production and reduce the profits. So supply curve would shift to left.
This would increase the price of good from P1 to P2 and reduce the equilibrium quantity from Q1 to Q2.
Now the second explanation is that due to increase in number of students, the price has increased.
This would be because the demand curve would shift to right, which would increase the equilibrium price and equilibrium quantity of the good.
This is shown in the figure below
Had the equilibrium quantity reduced because of the above changes, the supply factor would have been more dominant. This is because the quantity reduced is experienced in that case.
So answer would be option B)
The market price of cheeseburgers in a college town increased recently, and the students in an economics class are debating the cause of the price increase.