Table 4-13
The demand schedule below pertains to sandwiches demanded per week.
-Refer to Table 4-13. Suppose Harry, Darby, and Jake are the only demanders of sandwiches and that the market demand violates the law of demand. Then, in the table, the value of x must be

Question

Table 4-13
The demand schedule below pertains to sandwiches demanded per week. 
-Refer to Table 4-13. Suppose Harry, Darby, and Jake are the only demanders of sandwiches and that the market demand violates the law of demand. Then, in the table, the value of x must be

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

If the market demand violates the law of demand, it means that as the price increases, the quantity demanded also increases. This would occur if one or more demanders have a positive cross-price elasticity of demand for sandwiches. The only way this could happen in this case is if either Harry, Darby, or Jake have a positive cross-price elasticity with one another.
Looking at the demand schedule, the only combination of buyers that could create a violation of the law of demand would be Harry and Darby. If this is the case, then at a price of $2, Harry demands 10 sandwiches and Darby demands 5 sandwiches for a total of 15 sandwiches. However, if the price increases to $3, Harry now demands 15 sandwiches while Darby demands 7 sandwiches for a total of 22 sandwiches. Therefore, x (the total quantity demanded) must be greater than or equal to 7 in order for the demand to violate the law of demand.

Table 4-13 The Demand Schedule Below Pertains to Sandwiches Demanded Per Week