Final answer:
The statement given is false; qualitative variables describe the quality or characteristics of something, whereas quantitative variables describe numerical information such as how much or how many.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement is false. Qualitative variables describe the quality or characteristics of something and are often categorized by descriptions or labels rather than numbers. For example, they can represent characteristics such as color, texture, or type. On the other hand, quantitative variables describe how much or how many of something there is and involve numerical data that can be counted or measured.
For instance, saying that 'sulfur is yellow' is a qualitative description, whereas stating that 'a class has 25 students' is a quantitative description because it specifies a quantity. Scalars, such as weight in pounds or temperature in degrees, are also quantitative variables as they express a magnitude of something. It is important to differentiate between these two types of data because quantitative data can undergo mathematical analysis, such as calculating means or totals, whereas qualitative data are used to categorize or identify attributes that are not numerically based.
Here are some examples to further illustrate the difference:
- a. Gold metal is yellow. (Qualitative)
- b. A ream of paper has 500 sheets in it. (Quantitative)
- c. The weather outside is snowy. (Qualitative)
- d. The temperature outside is 24 degrees Fahrenheit. (Quantitative)