In: Economics
Suppose that there are two individuals (X and Y) and two goods (Food and Clothes) in an economy (Food is in horizatal axes). The initial endowment of X is 50 units of Food and 70 units of of Clothes and initial endowment of Y is 60 units of Food and 40 units of Clothes. Price of Food is $ 96 and price of Clothes is $ 32 . A) What is the price ratio (slope of price line)? B) What much should individuals trade for one good another to assure competitive equilibrium? C) Specify them as ratio of Clothes/Food. D) If X wants to sell 58 units of Food and Y wants to sell 174 units of Clothes, would a competitive equilibrium be formed? Why?
At the equilibrium, rate of trade between the two goods of both individuals should equal the price ratio.
Since, price ratio = 3
hence, at equilibrium, it implies that if any of the two individuals want one extra unit of food then he has to sacrifice 3 units of clothes.
Similarly, if any of the two individuals want one extra unit of cloth then he has to sacrifice 1/3 unit of food.
Also equilibrium implies that there is no excess demand of any one of the goods.