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Economics, The Law Of Supply And Demand

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In economics, the law of supply and demand is a fundamental tool of economic analysis used to study issues as diverse as inflation and unemployment, the effects of taxes on prices, government regulation of business, and environmental protection. In order to show how prices and quantities are determined in free markets, economists must refer to supply and demand curves. Every market consists of both buyers and sellers. For without buyers and sellers an economy would not be able to function and in essence, would not be able to exist. Economists say the market potential for certain things depend on a great number of influences, a critical one being the price charged. The quantity demanded of any product typically depends on its price. Quantity demanded also depends on a number of other determinants, including population size, consumer incomes, tastes, and the prices of other products. Ideally, quantity demanded is the number of units of a good that consumers are willing and can afford to buy over a specified period of time. There is a different quantity demanded at each possible price, all other influences being held constant. Adam Smith, the father of modern economic analysis, admired the price system. He coined the controversial term ‘”invisible hand.” Invisible hand is a phrase used to describe how, by pursuing their own self-interests, people in a market system are “led by an invisible hand” to promote the well being of the community.
Demand schedules are a table showing

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