Answer:
C. Substitutes and the higher price for oil increased the demand for natural gas.
Explanation:
In 2007, the price of oil increased, which in turn caused the price of natural gas to rise. This can best be explained by saying that oil and natural gas are substitutes and the higher price for oil increased the demand for natural gas.
Substitute goods are goods that can be used in place of another good because they serve the same purposes.
The demand for goods is said to be elastic, when the quantity of goods demanded by consumers with respect to change in price is very large. Thus, the more easily a consumer can switch to a substitute product in relation to change in price, the greater the elasticity of demand.
Generally, consumers would like to be buy a product as its price falls or become inexpensive.
For substitute products (goods), the price elasticity of demand is always positive because the demand of a product increases when the price of its close substitute (alternative) increases.
