Question

If Sam's, a local watering hole, increased the price of a pint of Guinness by 20%, it estimates the number of MBA students purchasing Guinness would decrease by 4%. Based on these data ____________ total revenues would increase because demand is elastic. total revenues would decrease because demand is elastic. total revenues would remain the same. total revenues would increase because demand is inelastic

Answer 1

Total Revenues would increase because Demand is Inelastic

Step-by-step explanation:

Demand is buyers ability & willingness to buy at a given price, time.

Elasticity of Demand is quantity demanded responsiveness to price change.

More Elastic Demand means quantity demanded responds highly to change in price. Percentage Change in Quantity Demanded > Percentage Change in Price. Elasticity of Demand [Δ%Q / Δ%P] >1 in this case. Price and Total Revenue (PxQ) are inversely related in this case ; i.e - price rise, TR fall & price fall, TR rise.

Less Elastic Demand means quantity demanded responds less to change in price. Percentage Change in Quantity Demanded < Percentage Change in Price. Elasticity of Demand [Δ%Q / Δ%P] < 1 in this case. Price and Total Revenue (PxQ) are positively related in this case ; i.e - price rise, TR rise & price fall, TR fall.

So: If Sam's Pint price change by 20% leads to demand fall by 4%, the demand is less elastic i.e < 1. Hence, Total Revenue will increase with increase in price.