ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery)Paragraph Comprehension (PC)Medium

Read the following passage: "The concept of supply and demand is a fundamental principle in economics, explaining how prices are determined in a market economy. Supply refers to the quantity of a good or service that producers are willing and able to offer for sale at various prices. Generally, as the price of a good increases, suppliers are incentivized to produce and sell more of it, leading to an upward-sloping supply curve. Demand, conversely, is the quantity of a good or service that consumers are willing and able to purchase at various prices. Typically, as the price of a good increases, consumers will demand less of it, resulting in a downward-sloping demand curve. The interaction of these two forces — where the supply and demand curves intersect — determines the equilibrium price and quantity in a market." According to the passage, what effect does an increase in the price of a good typically have on consumer demand for that good?

  1. AIt shifts the supply curve upwards.
  2. BIt has no significant effect on consumer demand.
  3. CIt causes consumers to demand more of the good.
  4. DIt causes consumers to demand less of the good.
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D. It causes consumers to demand less of the good.

The passage clearly states: 'Typically, as the price of a good increases, consumers will demand less of it, resulting in a downward-sloping demand curve.' This directly answers the question.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. Shifting the supply curve is a producer-side response, not a direct effect on consumer demand.
  • B. The passage indicates a clear inverse relationship between price and demand.
  • C. The passage states that consumers demand 'less' as price increases.

Law of Demand

An economic principle stating that, all else being equal, as the price of a good or service increases, consumer demand for it will decrease.

  • Inverse relationship between price and quantity demanded.
  • Represented by a downward-sloping demand curve.
  • Fundamental to market economics.

Memory trick: High Price, Low Demand, Down the Slope.

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