If quantities increased at each price level, the supply curve would shift to the right. If quantities decreased at each price level then the supply curve would shift to the left. Whenever the demand or supply curve shifts, the equilibrium price and equilibrium quantity change. It's almost magical the way supply and demand work to eliminate shortages and surpluses in the market, to set price and to allocate resources to produce what consumers want. Just look at the shelves in our marketplaces.
Consumers have lots of choices when lots of suppliers are competing for their dollars.
Barbara Tranquilla is a longtime teacher of economics in the Dade County public school system. She has won numerous state and national economics teaching awards and in 1995 was the first to be named Florida Economics Educator of the Year by the Florida Council on Economic Education. About the Florida Council on Economic Education Money Stuff was developed by the Florida Council on Economic Education and project director Fonda Anderson. The St. Petersburg Times devotes news space to NIE features throughout the year, including this classroom series. The Times' NIE department works with local businesses and individuals to enrich the classroom experience by providing newspapers, supplemental guides and educational services to schools in the Tampa Bay area.