Explain the Three Properties of the Indifference Curves Economics

When the worth falls to $25, she maximizes utility at point Z, riding 4 days per semester. Note According to Law of Transitivity if a consumer prefer bundle A over bundle B, and bundle B over bundle C, then he will indirectly prefer bundle A over bundle C. If two products can be perfectly replaced with each other, the Indifference Curve turns out to be a straight line with a constant value of MRS. Any combination lying on Samaira’s Indifference Curve yields the same kind of satisfaction to her. It is the functionality of an Indifference Curve that can be explained under many assumptions. It is known that each and every Indifference Curve has an origin.

four properties of indifference curve

Indifference curve touches neither X-axis nor Y-axis It is often assumed that a consumer buys a combination of two goods. Hence, an indifference curve touches neither X-axis nor Y-axis as touching either axis represents zero units of the respective four properties of indifference curve goods. Monotonic preferences means that greater consumption of a commodity by the consumer gives him higher level of satisfaction, as compared to less. The analysis of an Indifference Curve can be carried out on a simple two-dimensional graph.

Indifference Set

Indifference curves can never touch or intersect each other. Indifference curves slope downwards from left to the right. An inferior good is a type of good whose demand declines when income rises.

  • Samaira gains satisfaction from having 1 unit of food and 12 units of books.
  • This means that when the quantity of one product in combination with another is increased, the quantity of the other significantly decreases.
  • We know that the marginal utility of consuming a good decreases as its supply increases .
  • A higher curve means a higher level of satisfaction, in contrast to a lower curve.
  • A higher indifference curve represents a higher level of satisfaction than a lower indifference curve.
  • The following indifference set shows the different combinations of wheat and rice that yield customer equal satisfaction.

Hence, the indifference curve never touches the X or Y-axis. If in case, any indifference curve touches the axis, it implies that only one commodity is consumed by the consumer and demand for other commodity is zero. It may touch Y-axis if Y-axis represents money instead of a commodity.

ICSE

She is thus willing to surrender 2 days of snowboarding for a second day of horseback using. 8.Explain the concept of ’Marginal Rate of Substitution’ with the help of a numerical example. Indifference curves is convex to the point of origin because of diminishing Marginal Rate of Substitution. Indifference curves are widely used in microeconomics to analyze consumer preferences, the effects of subsidies and taxes, and a few other concepts. A higher curve means a higher level of satisfaction, in contrast to a lower curve.

Another fact is that there are no intersections between any sorts of pairs of Indifference Curves. Therefore consumers are keen to give up extra of this good to get one other good of which they have little. If a consumer has plenty of good B, the MRS is three items of good B per unit of fine A. If she has extra of fine A, the MRS is zero.5 units of good B per unit of excellent A.

These goods or products are the ones that give them the customer satisfaction and utility to the same level. And in such a graph, it can be determined how a consumer’s preferences and budget constraints might change or affect their decisions. Other than these, you can find there to be other applications of the Indifference Curves as well, which include welfare economics along with the marginal utility theory. This is equivalent to saying that as the consumer substitutes commodity X for commodity Y, the marginal rate of substitution diminishes of X for Y alongside an indifference curve. An indifference curve is a graph that reveals a combination of two items that give a consumer equal satisfaction and utility, thereby making the buyer indifferent.

More Business Economics Questions

In other words, if they have a lot of good B, they are more willing to trade some of it in to get an additional unit of good A and vice versa. Because of this relationship, the indifference curve is bowed inward (i.e. convex). For instance,in the https://1investing.in/ graph showing the indifference curve is convex to the origin. It signifies that the marginal rate of substitution of rice for wheat is declining. It means as the consumer gets more and more units of rice, he parts with fewer units of wheat.

four properties of indifference curve

At point N, he is willing to buy OQ quantity of rice with OP units of money. This combination will yield him the same satisfaction as by keeping OM units of money. An indifference curve is generally convex to the point of origin. In other words, the indifference curve connects the points on a graph where a consumer is indifferent to buy two commodities.

The slope of an indifference curve exhibits the speed at which two goods could be exchanged with out affecting the buyer’s utility. Figure 7.9 “The Marginal Rate of Substitution” reveals indifference curve C from Figure 7.eight “Indifference Curves”. It has been observed that an IC predominantly slopes downwards, to the right. This means that when the quantity of one product in combination with another is increased, the quantity of the other significantly decreases. There are several analyses that have taken place for Indifference Curves that have deduced the fact as to how the income of a consumer can change their preferences.

Figure 7.9 “The Marginal Rate of Substitution” shows indifference curve C from Figure 7.8 “Indifference Curves”. Indifference curves slope negatively or slope downwards from the left to the right. Downward sloping from left to right Convex to the origin.

Thus, a higher indifference curve implies higher satisfaction. It is a graph showing the combinations of two goods that give the consumer the same level of satisfaction and utility, making him indifferent. Indifference curves are used to show the consumer’s preferences and demand patterns for individual consumers over different commodities. An indifference curve is a graph that shows a combination of two goods that give a consumer equal satisfaction and utility, thereby making the consumer indifferent. Indifference curves are heuristic devices used in contemporary microeconomics to demonstrate consumer preference and the limitations of a budget.

Four Properties of Indifference Curves

On any point on this curve, the consumer is getting the same level of satisfaction by consuming a combination of two commodities. Having reached level X, Ms. Bain clearly wouldn’t hand over nonetheless more days of snowboarding for additional days of using. Beyond point X, her indifference curve is flatter than the budget line—her marginal rate of substitution is lower than the absolute value of the slope of the budget line. Indifference curves are negatively sloped or they slope downward It shows that more of one commodity implies less of the other, so that total satisfaction remains the same. Indifference curves are convex to the point of origin An indifference curve will ordinarily be convex to the point of origin.

What is the characteristic of indifference curve?

A higher indifference curve represents a higher level of satisfaction. The Slope of the curve is referred because the Marginal Rate of Substitution. The Marginal Rate of Substitution is the rate at which the buyer should sacrifice units of 1 commodity to acquire yet one more unit of another commodity. If we then draw a line that separates the plus from the minus signs, we are going to acquire the indifference curve proven within the above determine.

Therefore it is impossible for both curves to provide the same level of satisfaction, which means they can never intersect. Each indifference curve represents a different level of satisfaction, so they cant intersect each other. It is not possible that two curves with different satisfaction levels cut each other at any point. If two curves intersect each other at a point, it implies that both curves contain the same level of satisfaction at that point which is not logical. It is a set of combination of two goods offering the same level of satisfaction to consumers.