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Temperature scales like Celsius (C) and Fahrenheit (F) are measured by using the interval scale. In both temperature measurements, 40° is equal to 100° minus 60°. Differences make sense. But 0 degrees does not because, in both scales, 0 is not the absolute lowest temperature. Temperatures like -10° F and -15° C exist and are colder than 0.
Interval level data can be used in calculations, but one type of comparison cannot be done. 80° C is not four times as hot as 20° C (nor is 80° F four times as hot as 20° F). There is no meaning to the ratio of 80 to 20 (or four to one).
Data that is measured using the ratio scale takes care of the ratio problem and gives you the most information. Ratio scale data is like interval scale data, but it has a 0 point and ratios can be calculated. For example, four multiple choice statistics final exam scores are 80, 68, 20 and 92 (out of a possible 100 points). The exams are machine-graded.
The data can be put in order from lowest to highest: 20, 68, 80, 92.
The differences between the data have meaning. The score 92 is more than the score 68 by 24 points.Ratios can be calculated. The smallest score is 0. So 80 is four times 20. The score of 80 is four times better than the score of 20.
Twenty students were asked how many hours they worked per day. Their responses, in hours, are as follows:
[link] lists the different data values in ascending order and their frequencies.
| DATA VALUE | FREQUENCY |
|---|---|
| 2 | 3 |
| 3 | 5 |
| 4 | 3 |
| 5 | 6 |
| 6 | 2 |
| 7 | 1 |
A frequency is the number of times a value of the data occurs. According to [link] , there are three students who work two hours, five students who work three hours, and so on. The sum of the values in the frequency column, 20, represents the total number of students included in the sample.
A relative frequency is the ratio (fraction or proportion) of the number of times a value of the data occurs in the set of all outcomes to the total number of outcomes. To find the relative frequencies, divide each frequency by the total number of students in the sample–in this case, 20. Relative frequencies can be written as fractions, percents, or decimals.
| DATA VALUE | FREQUENCY | RELATIVE FREQUENCY |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 3 | or 0.15 |
| 3 | 5 | or 0.25 |
| 4 | 3 | or 0.15 |
| 5 | 6 | or 0.30 |
| 6 | 2 | or 0.10 |
| 7 | 1 | or 0.05 |
The sum of the values in the relative frequency column of [link] is , or 1.
Cumulative relative frequency is the accumulation of the previous relative frequencies. To find the cumulative relative frequencies, add all the previous relative frequencies tothe relative frequency for the current row, as shown in [link] .
| DATA VALUE | FREQUENCY | RELATIVE
FREQUENCY |
CUMULATIVE RELATIVE
FREQUENCY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 3 | or 0.15 | 0.15 |
| 3 | 5 | or 0.25 | 0.15 + 0.25 = 0.40 |
| 4 | 3 | or 0.15 | 0.40 + 0.15 = 0.55 |
| 5 | 6 | or 0.30 | 0.55 + 0.30 = 0.85 |
| 6 | 2 | or 0.10 | 0.85 + 0.10 = 0.95 |
| 7 | 1 | or 0.05 | 0.95 + 0.05 = 1.00 |
The last entry of the cumulative relative frequency column is one, indicating that one hundred percent of the data has been accumulated.
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