I'm completely stuck and I can't do the assignment until I actually understand the terms. I also am having trouble grasping onto the idea of an observational unit. What exactly is that in reference to qualitative and quantitative.
Any help you can give me would be great!
Thanks!
2007-01-21 03:45:07 · 3 answers · asked by steelers freak 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
Qualitative refers to a non-numerical characteristic of an object. For example, its color, shape, etc.
Quantitative refers to a numerical observation of an object. Examples are the number of items, the length/width/weight/height etc., the number of legs...anything which has to do with numbers.
2007-01-21 04:04:38 · answer #1 · answered by JasonM 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
A qualitative analysis observes the QUALITY of the item (its color, odor, texture, shape) The Mythbusters on the Discovery Channel do a lot of qualitative analysis and try to give us some reference for it, exactly how much does it smell or how much does it hurt? When they ask each other to rate a color, or smell or pain with a number, the number would be an observational unit but doesn't actually tell you how much it smells, I might rate the smell differently.
Quantitative analysis describes the QUANTITY of the items or the items traits. This kind of analysis can always be reduced to a number that is a fact, not a judgement call. There are three sides to the triangle, there are three triangles. These are not up for interpretation, they just are. The Mythbusters do this when they measure force, speed, time, temperature. This is easy to manipulate with statistics and to explain.
I don't know how much TV you watch or if you watch Mythbusters but they show really good examples of both. The CSI analyses are always quantitative. The powder is carbon, the liquid is human blood, there are 25 spots of blood, etc. They use qualitative analysis to understand and get a clue but then back it up with some kind of quantitative analysis (ie this lear liquid looks like mucous or saliva, send a trace to lab to be sure). The observational unit is the unit the answer is given in (meters, liters). The DNA analysis is a little of both with more quantitative than qualitative, fingerprint analysis is at its base, qualitative, it has to match visually. I hope this helps.
2007-01-21 04:02:13 · answer #2 · answered by Huggles-the-wise 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I don't you have problem any more. Just begin with your hw. ask q if necessary.
One is objective, the other is subjective.
2007-01-21 12:52:03 · answer #3 · answered by e_kueh 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋