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OPEC: The common abbreviation for the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, which is an international organization of more than a dozen nations located primarily in the Middle East, Africa, and Central America that controls a sizeable portion of the world's petroleum reserves. This control over oil reserves gives OPEC significant market control, which it has been inclined to exert from time to time. The most noted time was the 1970s. OPEC raised oil prices from a scant $2 to $3 a barrel in the early 1970s to over $30 a barrel by the end of the decade. As an group of independent oil-producing nations seeking to monopolize the market, OPEC represents a textbook example of an cartel.
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                           ELASTICITY ALTERNATIVES: Five categories of elasticity that form a continuum indicating the relative responsiveness of a change in one variable (usually quantity demanded or quantity supplied) to a change in another variable (usually price). These five alternatives--perfectly elastic, relatively elastic, unit elastic, relatively inelastic, and perfectly inelastic--are most often used to categorize the price elasticity of demand and the price elasticity of supply. The five elasticity alternatives--perfectly elastic, relatively elastic, unit elastic, relatively inelastic, and perfectly inelastic--reflect the entire range of elasticity responsiveness between two variables, especially price and quantity. At one end of the range is perfectly elastic in which an infinitesimally small change in price results in an infinitely large change in quantity. At the other end is perfectly inelastic in which quantity is fixed and unaffected by any change in price.| Alternative | Coefficient (E) | | Perfectly Elastic | E = ∞ | | Relatively Elastic | 1 < E < ∞ | | Unit Elastic | E = 1 | | Relatively Inelastic | 0 < E < 1 | | Perfectly Inelastic | E = 0 |
The chart to the right displays the five alternatives based on the coefficient of elasticity (E). The negative value obtained when calculating the price elasticity of demand is ignored to allow for comparison with the price elasticity of supply.Perfectly ElasticThe top of the chart begins with perfectly elastic, given by E = ∞. Perfectly elastic means an infinitesimally small change in price results in an infinitely large change in quantity demanded or supplied. This elasticity alternative exists when the price is fixed, that is, an infinite range of quantities is associated with the same price. Perfectly elastic demand can occur, in theory, when buyers have the choice among a large number of perfect substitutes-in-consumption. In an analogous way, perfectly elastic supply can occur when producers have the ability to switch resources among a large number of perfect substitutes-in-production.Relatively ElasticThe second category is relatively elastic, in which the coefficient of elasticity falls in the range 1 < E < ∞. That is, the coefficient is between one and infinity. With relatively elastic demand and supply, relatively small changes in price cause relatively large changes in quantity. Quantity is very responsive to price. The percentage change in quantity is greater than the percentage change in price. Relatively elastic demand occurs when buyers have the choice among a large number of close but not perfect substitutes-in-consumption. In an analogous way, relatively elastic supply occurs when producers have the ability to switch resources among a large number of close but not perfect substitutes-in-production.Unit ElasticThe third category is unit elastic, in which the coefficient of elasticity is E = 1. In this case, any change in price is matched by an equal relative change in quantity. The percentage change in quantity is equal to the percentage change in price. Unit elastic is essentially a dividing line or boundary between elastic and inelastic.Relatively InelasticThe fourth category is relatively inelastic, in which the coefficient of elasticity falls in the range 0 < E < 1. That is, the coefficient is between zero and one. With relatively inelastic demand and supply, relatively large changes in price cause relatively small changes in quantity. Quantity is not very responsive to price. The percentage change in quantity is less than the percentage change in price. Relatively inelastic demand occurs when buyers can choose only among a small number of imperfect substitutes-in-consumption. In an analogous way, relatively inelastic supply occurs when producers have a limited ability to switch resources among a small number of imperfect substitutes-in-production.Perfectly InelasticThe final category presented in this chart is perfectly inelastic, given by E = 0. Perfectly inelastic means that quantity demanded or supplied are unaffected by any change in price. The quantity is essentially fixed. It does not matter how much price changes, quantity does not budge. Perfectly inelastic demand occurs when buyers have no choice in the consumption of a good. In an analogous way, perfectly inelastic supply occurs when producers have no ability to switch resources among the production of goods.
Recommended Citation:ELASTICITY ALTERNATIVES, AmosWEB Encyclonomic WEB*pedia, http://www.AmosWEB.com, AmosWEB LLC, 2000-2018. [Accessed: April 24, 2018].
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RED AGGRESSERINE
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Today, you are likely to spend a great deal of time browsing about a thrift store trying to buy either a coffee cup commemorating the first day of spring or a printer that works with your stockpile of ink cartridges. Be on the lookout for slightly overweight pizza delivery guys.
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The word "fiscal" is derived from a Latin word meaning "moneybag."
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"You have to find something that you love enough to be able to take risks, jump over the hurdles and break through the brick walls that are always going to be placed in front of you. If you don't have that kind of feeling for what it is you're doing, you'll stop at the first giant hurdle. " -- George Lucas
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BJE
Bell Journal of Economics
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