What is the difference between change in supply and change quantity supplied?

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Change in Quantity Supplied

This is a situation which is due to a rise or fall in the price of a commodity/service and it is described by a movement along the supply curve for the commodity/service.

What is the difference between change in supply and change quantity supplied?

Figure: Movement induced by an increase in commodity’s own price

What is the difference between change in supply and change quantity supplied?

Figure: Movement due to a decrease in commodity’s own price

Change in Supply

This is a situation which is due to a variation in any determinant of supply other than commodity/service own price and it is described by a shift in the supply curve for the commodity or service.

What is the difference between change in supply and change quantity supplied?

Figure: An increase in supply

What is the difference between change in supply and change quantity supplied?

Figure: A decrease in supply


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What Is Change In Supply?

Change in supply refers to a shift, either to the left or right, in the entire price-quantity relationship that defines a supply curve.

Key Takeaways

  • Change in supply refers to a shift, either to the left or right, in the entire price-quantity relationship that defines a supply curve.
  • Essentially, a change in supply is an increase or decrease in the quantity supplied that is paired with a higher or lower supply price.
  • A change in supply can occur as a result of new technologies, such as more efficient or less expensive production processes, or a change in the number of competitors in the market.
  • A change in supply is not to be confused with a change in the quantity supplied.

Understanding Change in Supply

A change in supply is an economic term that describes when the suppliers of a given good or service alter production or output. A change in supply can occur as a result of new technologies, such as more efficient or less expensive production processes, or a change in the number of competitors in the market.

A change in supply leads to a shift in the supply curve, which causes an imbalance in the market that is corrected by changing prices and demand. An increase in the change in supply shifts the supply curve to the right, while a decrease in the change in supply shifts the supply curve left. Essentially, there is an increase or decrease in the quantity supplied that is paired with a higher or lower supply price.

A change in supply shouldn't be confused with a change in the quantity supplied. The former causes a shift in the entire supply curve, while the latter results in movement along the existing supply curve.

The general consensus amongst economists is that these are the primary factors that cause a change in supply, which necessitates the shifting of the supply curve:

  • Number of sellers
  • Expectations of sellers
  • Price of raw materials
  • Technology
  • Other prices

For example, if a new technology reduces the cost of gaming console production for manufacturers, according to the law of supply the output of consoles will increase. With more output in the market, the price of consoles is likely to fall, creating greater demand in the marketplace and higher overall sales of consoles. This technological advancement has caused a change in supply.

Supply and Demand Curves

The effects of changing supply and demand are found by plotting the two variables on a graph. The horizontal X-axis represents quantity and the vertical Y-axis represents price.

The supply and demand curves intersect to form an "X" in the middle of the graph; the supply curve points upward and to the right, while the demand curve points downward and to the right. Where the two curves intersect is the price and quantity, based on current levels of supply and demand.

A positive change in supply when demand is constant shifts the supply curve to the right, which results in an intersection that yields lower prices and higher quantity. A negative change in supply, on the other hand, shifts the curve to the left, causing prices to rise and the quantity to decrease.

Change in Supply Example

During the early 2010s, the development of hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking", as a method to extract oil from shale rock formations in North America caused a positive change in supply in the oil market. Non-OPEC oil production rose by over one million barrels per day, with most of the oil coming from fracking activity in North America.

Because of the increase in the supply of oil, the per-barrel price of oil, which had reached an all-time high of $147 in 2008, plunged as low as $27 in Feb. 2016. Economists predicted that lower prices would create greater demand for oil, although this demand was tempered by deteriorating economic conditions in many parts of the world.

What is the difference between the change in quantity supplied and change in supply?

A change in quantity supplied is a movement along the supply curve in response to a change in price. A change in supply is a shift of the entire supply curve in response to something besides price.

What is difference between supply and quantity supplied?

What Is the Difference Between Supply and Quantity Supplied? Supply is the entire supply curve, while quantity supplied is the exact figure supplied at a certain price. Supply, broadly, lays out all the different qualities provided at every possible price point.

What is the difference between a change in quantity supplied and a change in supply quizlet?

What is the difference between a change in supply and a change in quantity supplied? A change in supply refers to shift in the supply curve. A change in quantity supplied refers to a movement along the supply curve as a result of price change.

What is the difference between increase in supply and increase in quantity supplied?

An 'increase in supply' means the supply curve has shifted to the right while an 'increase in quantity supplied' refers to a movement along a given supply curve in response to an increase in price.