What's the difference between an elastic good and an inelastic good?

An elastic good is a good that has a price elasticity of demand that is greater than one. This means that the demand for the good will change significantly if the price changes. An example of such is coke-a-cola. If the price of coke-a-cola were to rise by 1 pound, most consumers would switch to pepsi, or another substitute. An inelastic good is a good that has a price elasticity of demand that is less than 1, meaning that demand for that good will not change significantly if the price is altered. An example of an inelastic good is insulin, as there are very few substitutes to insulin.

HK
Answered by Hana K. Economics tutor

26949 Views

See similar Economics A Level tutors

Related Economics A Level answers

All answers ▸

Explain how to calculate Price Elasticity of Demand


Discuss how a business may practice 3rd degree price discrimination


Evaluate the usefulness a knowledge of perfect competition theory in analysing the behaviour of firms. [15]


Describe the impact of a close competitor lowering the price for their good has on the price and output of a firm, use a demand-supply diagram to help explain your answer.


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2025 by IXL Learning