Shortage and Surplus

Investigate the concepts of shortage and surplus—as well as the effects they can have on the price of a good—with this helpful economics worksheet! Designed for middle school learners, this worksheet begins with explanations of the terms surplus, shortage, and equilibrium price. Students will use the terms and their explanations to complete sentences about the concepts of shortage and surplus. Then, to further demonstrate their understanding, learners will read six different scenarios and indicate whether each one represents a surplus, shortage, or equilibrium price of the good in question. For a deeper dive into how shortage and surplus affect pricing, have students complete the Shortage, Surplus, and Prices worksheet next!