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AP MicroeconomicsConsumer Choice

Budget Constraint

A budget constraint shows all combinations of goods a consumer can afford given their income and the prices of the goods.

It is drawn as a downward-sloping line whose slope equals the negative ratio of the two goods' prices. Points on the line spend all income; points inside are affordable but leave income unspent. A change in income shifts the line, while a price change rotates it.

Formula / Example

Income = (Pₓ × Qₓ) + (Pᵧ × Qᵧ).

Related terms

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