This section is a brief review of the basics of two-dimensional diagrams of the sort used in introductory economics. Most economists call these diagrams "graphs", as do we. Almost every page of this online text contains a graph, so be sure you understand this section before you go on.

   Why do we use so many graphs in introductory economics? Simply because they are a great way to make complicated points very easy to understand. If you take the time to learn to fully understand the graphs used throughout this text, and learn to draw them for yourself, you'll be able to figure out the answer to almost any question at the introductory microecon level.

   One of the reasons we were inspired to write this online text was that we wanted to make graphs available to students that are clear, easy to access, colorful, and animated. It's too expensive to put hundreds of good color graphs in printed texts and of course no way to make them animated. We have found from our students that they often get graphs presented in class wrong in their notes, leading to much confusion. We have found that by animating the graphs, students find it easier to understand more complicated graphs because they can see them being drawn, as they would be in class. They are able to focus on the individual parts as they are completed, then the meaning of the entire graph becomes easier to comprehend, and finally they are able to construct their own for any situation.<sup>1


1</sup> One, in a long line of Economists' mottos: Never go to lunch with an economist, she'll spend the whole time drawing graphs on paper napkins.

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