Which scale has equal intervals between values but no true zero?

Which scale has equal intervals between values but no true zero?

• A. Nominal
• B. Ordinal
• C. Interval
• D. Ratio

Answer: (C)

Understanding measurement scales: interval scales have equal spacing between values but no true zero. This means you can measure a consistent difference between two values (the gap from 15 to 20 is the same as from 25 to 30), but a zero point does not mean “none” of the quantity, so you can’t meaningfully say one value is twice another. A common example is Celsius temperature, where the steps are equal yet 0°C does not represent no temperature. In contrast, a ratio scale also has equal intervals but includes a true zero, so ratios like twice as much make sense. The property described fits an interval scale, so that is the correct description.

Understanding measurement scales: interval scales have equal spacing between values but no true zero. This means you can measure a consistent difference between two values (the gap from 15 to 20 is the same as from 25 to 30), but a zero point does not mean “none” of the quantity, so you can’t meaningfully say one value is twice another. A common example is Celsius temperature, where the steps are equal yet 0°C does not represent no temperature. In contrast, a ratio scale also has equal intervals but includes a true zero, so ratios like twice as much make sense. The property described fits an interval scale, so that is the correct description.