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A ratio scale has equal units and a meaningful zero.
On a ratio scale, zero represents the absence of the quantity being measured, so ratios have a clear meaning. A distance of 10 metres is twice a distance of 5 metres. Both the difference and the ratio are interpretable.
Some scales have equal intervals but an arbitrary zero. A temperature of 20°C is not twice as hot as 10°C merely because the number is double. Before using a ratio, ask what zero means on the scale and what quantity is actually being compared.
A score of 80 points is twice 40 points, but that does not establish twice the knowledge. Points and knowledge are different quantities.
The scale of a measurement and the meaning of the underlying concept both matter.
Introductory Statistics 2e — Frequency, Frequency Tables, and Levels of Measurement
OpenStax contributors · OpenStax, Rice University
CC BY 4.0. Rewritten as a self-contained explanation; the example and reflection are Vakataka additions. No source images reproduced.
Source edition: 2024-12-16T15:08:45Z
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