Which market condition suggests a shortage?

A shortage occurs in a market when the quantity demanded exceeds the quantity supplied at a certain price level. This situation typically arises when the price of a good or service is set below the equilibrium price, which is where supply and demand are balanced. In this case, consumers want to buy more of the product than what is available, leading to a shortage.

When demand exceeds supply at a given price, it indicates that consumers are willing to purchase more of the good than what is being produced or made available by sellers, creating upward pressure on prices as buyers compete for the limited quantity available. This imbalance drives the market towards a new equilibrium, where supply can meet demand at a higher price or through increased production.

The other options do not represent situations that would indicate a shortage; they describe scenarios where the market is either balanced at equilibrium or experiencing excess supply, neither of which aligns with the characteristics of a shortage.