In economics, what is the term for a product’s quantity supplied changing after its own price changes?

In economics, a product’s quantity supplied changing after its own price changes is called a movement along the supply curve.

A supply curve shows the relationship between a good’s price and the quantity producers are willing and able to sell, holding other factors constant. A higher price usually leads to a movement upward along the curve, while a lower price leads to a movement downward.

This differs from a shift in the supply curve. A shift occurs when a non-price determinant changes, such as production technology, input costs, taxes, subsidies, or the number of sellers. For example, cheaper steel can shift the supply curve for cars to the right.

The distinction is important because economists use “quantity supplied” for a response to the good’s own price, but “supply” for the entire price-quantity relationship. Demand has a parallel distinction: a price change causes movement along the demand curve, while income or preferences can shift it.