American Mining Company Is Interested in Obtaining Quick Estimates of the Supply

question 96

Essay

American Mining Company is interested in obtaining quick estimates of the supply and demand curves for coal. The firm's research department informs you that the elasticity of supply is approximately 1.7, the elasticity of demand is approximately -0.85, and the current price and quantity are $41 and 1,206, respectively. Price is measured in dollars per ton, quantity the number of tons per week.
a. Estimate linear supply and demand curves at the current price and quantity.
b. What impact would a 10% increase in demand have on the equilibrium price and quantity?
c. If the government refused to let American raise the price when demand increased in (b) above, what shortage is created?

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Definitions:

Function

A function is a relation between a set of inputs and a set of permissible outputs with the property that each input is related to exactly one output.

Simplify

To reduce a mathematical expression or equation to its simplest form by performing all operations and simplifying all terms.

Evaluate

To calculate the numerical value of an expression, equation, or function when certain values are known or substituted for variables.

Simplify

To reduce a mathematical expression to its simplest form by performing operations and combining like terms.