Why the aggregate supply curve slopes upward in the short run In the short run, the quantity of output supplied by firms can deviate from the natural level of output if the actual price level deviates from the expected price level in the economy. A number of theories explain reasons why this might happen. For example, the misperceptions theory asserts that changes in the price level can temporarily mislead firms about what is happening to their output prices. Consider a soybean farmer who expects a price level of 100 in the coming year. If the actual price level turns out to be 110, soybean prices will , and if the farmer mistakenly assumes that the price of soybeans increased relative to other prices of goods and services, she will respond by the quantity of soybeans supplied. If other producers in this economy mistake changes in the price level for changes in their relative prices, the unexpected increase in the price level causes the quantity of output supplied to the natural level of output in the short run. Suppose the economy's short-run aggregate supply (AS) curve is given by the following equation: Quantity of Output Supplied = Natural Level of Output