Final answer:
Describing the type of trees in a school courtyard is a qualitative investigation because it involves characteristics that are expressed in qualities, not numerical values.
Step-by-step explanation:
If you are describing the type of trees in your school courtyard, you are completing a qualitative investigation. This type of investigation involves describing characteristics or qualities that cannot be measured with numbers, such as the shape of the leaves, the color of the bark, or the species of the trees. Therefore, the correct answer is C) qualitative.
Qualitative data represent properties or characteristics that are described in terms of qualities rather than being measured numerically. Contrasting this with quantitative data, which can be counted or measured and expressed using numbers, for example, the number of trees or the height of each tree, which would correspond to quantitative observations.
An example of a qualitative description might be stating that a tree has rough, gray bark and green, heart-shaped leaves. In comparison, a quantitative description would be stating that a tree is 20 feet tall. The context and specifics of what is being measured dictate whether the data gathered is qualitative or quantitative.