Final answer:
The demand curve for a typical good has a negative slope, in accordance with the law of demand, and can vary in its steepness or curvature depending on the product.
Step-by-step explanation:
The demand curve for a typical good has a negative slope. This relationship is a reflection of the law of demand: as the price of a good increases, the quantity demanded decreases, and conversely, as the price decreases, the quantity demanded increases. Demand curves can appear differently for each product, being relatively steep or flat, straight or curved, but they generally share the similarity of sloping down from left to right.
Demand curves that are straight lines have negative slopes, indicating a consistent rate of change in quantity demanded for each unit change in price. On the other hand, demand curves with constant unitary elasticity are concave, reflecting a diminishing absolute value of price declines as we move down the curve. This means the slope of demand is steeper on the left and flatter on the right, showing that the percentage change in quantity demanded is equal to the percentage change in price at every point on the curve.