Easy2Siksha Sample Papers
Law of Demand – Meaning, Assumpons, and Limitaons
Appeared in: 2021 (Q2), 2024 (Q1)
Ans: You walk into a fruit market on a hot summer day. Mangoes are stacked high, their
fragrance filling the air. At one stall, the vendor shouts, “₹100 per dozen!” You hesitate.
At another stall, the price is ₹60 per dozen. Suddenly, you’re tempted to buy two dozen
instead of one. Without realizing it, you’ve just acted out one of the most fundamental
principles of economics—the Law of Demand.
This law is not just about mangoes; it’s about how humans behave when prices change.
Let’s explore it step by step: its meaning, assumptions, and limitations, in a way that
feels like a story rather than a dry theory.
Meaning of the Law of Demand
The Law of Demand states:
Other things remaining the same (ceteris paribus), the quantity demanded of a
commodity increases when its price falls, and decreases when its price rises.
• In simple words: Price and demand move in opposite directions.
• If price goes up → demand goes down.
• If price goes down → demand goes up.
Example:
• At ₹100 per movie ticket, only 50 people may watch.
• At ₹50 per ticket, 200 people may watch.
• The cheaper the ticket, the more people are willing to buy.
Graphically:
• The demand curve slopes downward from left to right, showing the inverse
relationship between price and quantity demanded.
Story Note: Think of it like a seesaw—when price goes up, demand goes down; when
price goes down, demand goes up.
Assumptions of the Law of Demand
The law works only if certain conditions are met. Economists call these assumptions.
Without them, the law may not hold true.
1. Ceteris Paribus (Other Things Constant)