Why price celing leads to shortage?

A price ceiling, which is a maximum legal price set below the market equilibrium, can lead to shortages because it prevents prices from rising to their natural level where supply meets demand. When the price is artificially kept low, more consumers are willing to purchase the product, but producers may be less inclined to supply it due to reduced profitability. This imbalance between high demand and low supply results in a shortage, as the quantity demanded exceeds the quantity supplied at the imposed price ceiling.