| Course | ECON 1002 Microeconomics |
|---|---|
| Week | Week 5 |
| Paper type | Peer reply |
| Length | About 400 words, 3 pages |
| Format | Discussion reply, APA 7 citations |
| School | Walden University |
| Program | BS in Business Administration |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for ECON 1002 Week 5
Week 5 Discussion: Response to Daniel
Re: The New Bike-Share Docks and Used Bicycle Prices: Right Price Prediction, Wrong Curve
Daniel, if I have your argument right, the town's new bike-share program adds about 200 bicycles to the streets, so the supply of used bicycles rises and their price falls. I agree with your price prediction: used bicycles should get cheaper. I think the shift runs through a different curve, though, and that changes part of your conclusion.
The bike-share bicycles are never sold. They stay at the docks and are rented by the ride, so they do not add a single bicycle to the market where residents buy and sell used ones. What they do is give people a way to ride without owning a bicycle at all. That makes bike-share a substitute for a used bicycle. Studies of bike-share programs find that many users are occasional riders who might otherwise have needed a bicycle of their own (Fishman, 2016). When a substitute becomes available or cheaper, demand for the original good falls at every price, so the demand curve for used bicycles shifts left (Greenlaw et al., 2022). Supply has not changed; the same residents and the same refurbishing shop are offering the same bicycles.
The correction matters because the two stories predict different quantities. Under your supply shift, the price falls and more used bicycles are sold, since sellers are offering more. Under a demand shift, the price falls and fewer are sold, since fewer people want to buy. Mankiw (2021) makes the general point: knowing which curve moved tells you whether price and quantity move together or in opposite directions. So the two explanations agree on price and disagree on volume. There is one way your supply story could still be partly right: if some residents decide they no longer need their own bicycle because the docks are nearby, they may list it for sale, which would shift supply right as well. In that case both curves move, the price falls further than either shift alone would cause, and the effect on quantity depends on which shift is larger.
That also gives us a way to tell them apart. Have you noticed whether used bicycle listings in town are sitting longer since the docks opened? If listings linger and fewer sell, that supports a demand shift; if more bicycles are being bought, your supply story would have some evidence behind it.
References
Fishman, E. (2016). Bikeshare: A review of recent literature. Transport Reviews, 36(1), 92-113. https://doi.org/10.1080/01441647.2015.1033036
Greenlaw, S. A., Shapiro, D., & MacDonald, D. (2022). Principles of microeconomics (3rd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/details/books/principles-microeconomics-3e
Mankiw, N. G. (2021). Principles of microeconomics (9th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Reading the ECON 1002 Week 5 instructions
In Week 5 you reply to a classmate's analysis of a market change. Restate their argument fairly in a sentence. Say what you agree with. Then check which curve they moved and whether the change really affects buyers or sellers. If the shift is wrong, explain why using the definitions from the course, such as substitutes, complements or input costs, and show what the correction changes in the prediction. Be precise about price and quantity separately, since the two shifts may agree on one and differ on the other. Close with a question or a piece of evidence that would settle the matter.
Inside the ECON 1002 Week 5 example
The reply opens by restating Daniel's claim that 200 bike-share bicycles raise the supply of used bicycles and agrees that prices should fall. The second paragraph explains that the docks rent rides rather than sell bicycles, so they act as a substitute and shift demand left, citing OpenStax. The third paragraph shows that the supply story predicts more sales while the demand story predicts fewer, citing Mankiw. A further paragraph concedes that residents who no longer need a bicycle might list it, shifting supply too. The reply ends by asking whether listings in town have been sitting longer since the docks opened.
Where the marks sit in the ECON 1002 Week 5 rubric
Peer replies are judged on whether they engage with the economics of the classmate's post. A reply that catches an incorrect shift, explains why using course definitions and shows how the prediction changes demonstrates real understanding. Agreeing where the classmate is right, and saying so, is part of a fair reply. Strong replies separate price and quantity, since corrections often matter for one and not the other. Offering evidence that would test the competing explanations moves the discussion forward. Replies that only praise, or correct without explaining, earn little. A respectful tone matters as much as accuracy. Citing the course text for the definition behind the correction is expected.
ECON 1002 Week 5 help: mistakes that cost marks
Find the exact sentence in the classmate's post where a curve gets moved. Ask whether the event changes what buyers want at each price or what sellers can offer. Products that are rented, shared or borrowed often affect demand for ownership rather than supply. If the shift is wrong, work out what the correct shift predicts for price and for quantity, then compare with the classmate's prediction. Point out where the two agree and where they differ. Common mistakes are correcting the classmate without showing the consequence, or arguing about price alone. Send us the classmate's post and a model reply can be drafted. Stay collegial; the goal is to leave the classmate with a clearer analysis, not to show that you found an error first. A short, friendly opening sentence helps.
Get a ECON 1002 Week 5 example written to your instructions
Paste in the classmate's post with the reply prompt and rubric, and the reply questions that post's direction before its conclusion, returned inside 24 to 48 hours with the first one free. The docks, the town and the classmate belong to a made-up thread, so no real post is under correction.
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ECON 1002 Week 5 questions, answered
Where can I find a free ECON 1002 Week 5 sample paper?
The complete reply to Daniel is posted on this page, open to everyone.
What mistake does the ECON 1002 Week 5 reply catch?
The classmate treated bike-share as an increase in the supply of used bicycles, when it is a substitute that lowers demand.
Does the reply agree with anything?
Yes. It agrees that used bicycle prices should fall.
What does the correction change?
Under a demand shift fewer used bicycles sell, while the classmate's supply shift predicted more would sell.
What evidence would settle the question?
Whether used bicycle listings are sitting unsold longer since the docks opened.