Ratio Scale
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A Ratio Scale is a Measurement Scale that is the ratio of a continuous quantity magnitude and a unit magnitude.
- AKA: Ratio Measurement Scale.
- Example(s):
- Kelvin Temperature Scale.
- a Physical Measurement such as:
- Mass;
- Length;
- Time;
- Energy;
- Electric Charge.
- Counter-Example(s):
- See: Arithmetic, Dataset Type.
References
2019
- (Wikipedia, 2019) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Level_of_measurement#Ratio_scale Retrieved:2019-8-24.
- The ratio type takes its name from the fact that measurement is the estimation of the ratio between a magnitude of a continuous quantity and a unit magnitude of the same kind (Michell, 1997, 1999). A ratio scale possesses a meaningful (unique and non-arbitrary) zero value. Most measurement in the physical sciences and engineering is done on ratio scales. Examples include mass, length, duration, plane angle, energy and electric charge. In contrast to interval scales, ratios are now meaningful because having a non-arbitrary zero point makes it meaningful to say, for example, that one object has "twice the length". Very informally, many ratio scales can be described as specifying "how much" of something (i.e. an amount or magnitude) or "how many" (a count). The Kelvin temperature scale is a ratio scale because it has a unique, non-arbitrary zero point called absolute zero.
Central tendency and statistical dispersion
The geometric mean and the harmonic mean are allowed to measure the central tendency, in addition to the mode, median, and arithmetic mean. The studentized range and the coefficient of variation are allowed to measure statistical dispersion. All statistical measures are allowed because all necessary mathematical operations are defined for the ratio scale.
- The ratio type takes its name from the fact that measurement is the estimation of the ratio between a magnitude of a continuous quantity and a unit magnitude of the same kind (Michell, 1997, 1999). A ratio scale possesses a meaningful (unique and non-arbitrary) zero value. Most measurement in the physical sciences and engineering is done on ratio scales. Examples include mass, length, duration, plane angle, energy and electric charge. In contrast to interval scales, ratios are now meaningful because having a non-arbitrary zero point makes it meaningful to say, for example, that one object has "twice the length". Very informally, many ratio scales can be described as specifying "how much" of something (i.e. an amount or magnitude) or "how many" (a count). The Kelvin temperature scale is a ratio scale because it has a unique, non-arbitrary zero point called absolute zero.
2017
- (Sammut & Webb, 2011) ⇒ Claude Sammut, and Geoffrey I. Webb. (2017). "Ratio Scale". In: (Sammut & Webb, 2017) DOI:10.1007/978-1-4899-7687-1_700
- QUOTE: A ratio measurement scale, and there exists a zero that, the same as arithmetic zero, means “nil” or “nothing.” See Measurement Scales.