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What are the concepts of diminishing marginal utility and its relation to the demand curve?

User Longha
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Final answer:

Diminishing marginal utility refers to the decrease in satisfaction or utility derived from each additional unit of a good or service consumed. It is related to the demand curve as it explains why the demand curve slopes downward. Understanding this concept is essential for analyzing consumer behavior and predicting changes in demand.

Step-by-step explanation:

The concept of diminishing marginal utility is an important principle in economics. It states that as a person consumes more units of a good or service, the additional utility or satisfaction they derive from each additional unit decreases. For example, the first slice of pizza may be very enjoyable, but the tenth slice may not provide the same level of satisfaction.

This concept is related to the demand curve because it explains why the demand curve slopes downward. As the quantity of a good consumed increases, the marginal utility decreases, causing consumers to be willing to pay a lower price for each additional unit. This leads to a negative relationship between price and quantity demanded, which is represented by the downward slope of the demand curve.

Understanding the concept of diminishing marginal utility can help economists analyze consumer behavior and make predictions about how changes in price or quantity will affect demand.

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