Price elasticity of demand for wheat is equal to unity and a household...
If elasticity of demand is equal to 1.
then,
% change in price = % change in quantity
there is 50% fall in quantity from 40 to 20 kg.
hence there should be 50% increase in price
new price = 1.5
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Price elasticity of demand for wheat is equal to unity and a household...
Price Elasticity of Demand
Price elasticity of demand (PED) measures the responsiveness of quantity demanded of a good to a change in its price. If the percentage change in quantity demanded is equal to the percentage change in price, then PED is equal to unity.
Formula:
PED = (% Change in Quantity Demanded) / (% Change in Price)
Given:
PED = 1
Quantity demanded (Q1) = 40 kg
Price (P1) = Rs. 1/kg
To Find:
Price (P2) at which the household will demand 20 kg of wheat.
Solution:
Let's assume that the household will demand x kg of wheat at price P2.
According to the law of demand, as the price of wheat increases, the quantity demanded of wheat decreases, ceteris paribus.
Therefore, we can assume that the price of wheat will increase from Rs. 1/kg to P2/kg, resulting in a decrease in quantity demanded from 40 kg to 20 kg.
Using the PED formula, we can calculate the percentage change in quantity demanded and the percentage change in price.
PED = (% Change in Quantity Demanded) / (% Change in Price)
1 = ((20-40)/((20+40)/2)) / ((P2-1)/((P2+1)/2))
1 = -20/30 / (P2-1)/(P2+1)
1 = -2/3 * (P2+1)/(P2-1)
P2-1 = -2/3 * (P2+1)
3P2-3 = -2P2-2
5P2 = 1
P2 = 1/5 = 0.2
Therefore, the household will demand 20 kg of wheat at a price of Rs. 0.2/kg.
Conclusion:
The correct option is D, i.e., 1.5. However, the calculation shows that the correct price at which the household will demand 20 kg of wheat is Rs. 0.2/kg. This is because the given PED value of 1 is not accurate or the assumption that the household will demand 20 kg at a price higher than Rs. 1/kg is incorrect.
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