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?
- AIt shifts the supply curve upwards.
- BIt has no significant effect on consumer demand.
- CIt causes consumers to demand more of the good.
- DIt causes consumers to demand less of the good.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & 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.