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Using Table 3 (price £1.20, quantity 1800; price £1.50, quantity 2700), calculate the price elasticity of supply of loaves of bread when the price rises from £1.20 to £1.50.

Table 3 Price per loaf of bread (£) | Quantity of loaves of bread made per week 1.20 | 1800 1.50 | 2700
Table 3
Price per loaf of bread (£) | Quantity of loaves of bread made per week
1.20 | 1800
1.50 | 2700
Using Table 3 (price £1.20, quantity 1800; price £1.50, quantity 2700), calculate the price elastici...
Answer

The price elasticity of supply (PES) is 2.0. Quantity supplied rises from 1800 to 2700 (a 50% increase) while price rises from £1.20 to £1.50 (a 25% increase), so $\text{PES} = 50\% \div 25\% = 2.0$, meaning supply is price elastic.

Explanation

What you are being asked to measure

Price elasticity of supply tells you how responsive quantity supplied is to a change in price. You compare the percentage change in quantity supplied with the percentage change in price.

Work out the percentage change in quantity supplied

  • $\Delta Q = 2700 - 1800 = 900$
  • Percentage change (using the starting value): $$\%\Delta Q = \frac{900}{1800} \times 100 = 50\%$$

Work out the percentage change in price

  • $\Delta P = 1.50 - 1.20 = 0.30$
  • Percentage change (using the starting value): $$\%\Delta P = \frac{0.30}{1.20} \times 100 = 25\%$$

Calculate PES and interpret it

$$\text{PES} = \frac{\%\Delta Q}{\%\Delta P} = \frac{50}{25} = 2.0$$ Since $\text{PES} > 1$, the supply of loaves of bread is elastic, meaning quantity supplied changes proportionally more than price.

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