What are the key differences between public goods and private goods, and how do these distinctions impact their provision and consumption in society?

Public goods are non-excludable and non-rivalrous, meaning they are available to everyone and one person's consumption does not diminish another's. Private goods, on the other hand, are excludable and rivalrous, meaning they can be restricted to certain individuals and consumption by one person reduces availability for others. These distinctions impact provision and consumption as public goods may be underprovided by the market due to free-riding, while private goods are typically efficiently allocated through market mechanisms.