Final answer:
A monopoly is a market structure characterized by one producer with high barriers to entry. It is a price maker and offers products with few substitutes. The elasticity of demand is low for a monopoly.
Step-by-step explanation:
A monopoly is a market structure characterized by one producer with a unique product and very high barriers to entry. Some of the characteristics of a monopoly include:
- Entry barriers: Monopolies have strong barriers to entry that prevent or discourage other firms from entering the market.
- Price maker: A monopoly has the power to set the price of its product since it has no direct competition.
- Lack of close substitutes: Monopolies offer products that have no or few close substitutes in the market.
- Low elasticity of demand: The demand for a monopoly's product tends to be inelastic, meaning that changes in price have a minimal impact on consumer demand.