2.2 Supply
2.2

Supply

Supply refers to the quantity of a good or service that producers are willing and able to offer for sale at various price levels. The Law of Supply states that, ceteris paribus, as price rises, quantity supplied rises — reflecting a positive relationship between price and quantity supplied. This is shown by an upward-sloping supply curve. Producers are incentivised by higher prices to increase output as profitability rises.

Key Terms & Definitions

Supply

The quantity of a good or service that producers are willing and able to sell at a given price over a given time period.

Law of Supply

Ceteris paribus, as the price of a good rises, the quantity supplied rises, and vice versa.

Non-price Determinants of Supply

Factors that shift the supply curve: costs of production, technology, number of sellers, government policy, prices of related goods, expectations.

Subsidy

A payment from the government to producers to lower their costs of production, shifting supply rightward.

Indirect Tax

A tax on goods/services that raises production costs, shifting supply leftward.

Joint Supply

When producing one good automatically produces another (e.g., beef and leather).

IB Diagram

Accurate IB-style diagram — straight lines, labelled axes

IB Diagram

Supply Curve & Rightward Shift
0PQSS₁DP₁Q₁P₂Q₂Increase in Supply

IB standard: straight lines · P on Y-axis · Q on X-axis · labels at end of curves · dashed drop lines to axes

Diagram Notes: Upward-sloping supply curve (S) on P vs Q axes. Show a rightward shift (S to S1) when technology improves — new equilibrium has lower price and higher quantity.