[Editor’s note: Bringing back the fundamentals of price theory, we continue our series on Price Theory problems with Professor Bryan Cutsinger. For previous problems and solutions, you can visit our website. Don’t forget to share your proposed solutions in the Comments section. Professor Cutsinger will be engaging with readers for the next two weeks, and we will share his proposed solution shortly thereafter. Let the graphs guide you, and let price theory thrive!]
Question: Imagine that cotton and wool are considered substitutes. Moreover, let’s assume that the supply of cotton follows an upward sloping curve, while the supply of wool is perfectly elastic. How would a new production technique that boosts the supply of cotton impact the quantity of wool supplied? Will there be any changes in the price of wool or the demand for cotton?
Solution: To understand this scenario, we can depict it graphically. The left figure illustrates the wool market, while the right figure showcases the cotton market.
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