Demand schedule
Topic: Consumer Behaviour, Demand and Elasticity · NCERT: Class 9, Ch 9 "The Price Puzzle: What Drives the Market"
Meaning
A demand schedule is a table that lists the quantity of a good a buyer wants at different prices, with other factors held constant. It is the simplest way to show the law of demand in numbers: as price falls, quantity demanded rises. When the points of the table are plotted, they give the demand curve.
Example
Srivalli's demand for mangoes:
| Price per kg | Quantity demanded |
|---|---|
| ₹150 | 1 kg |
| ₹100 | 2 kg |
| ₹50 | 3 kg |
Joining these three points gives a downward-sloping demand curve.
Don't confuse with
- Demand curve: the schedule is the table. The curve is the graph drawn from it.
- Market demand schedule: an individual schedule covers one buyer. A market schedule adds up all buyers' quantities at each price.