What kind of data is represented by temperature?

The correct classification for temperature data is interval. This is because interval data consists of values that are measured along a scale with equal distances between points but do not have a true zero point. In the case of temperature measured in degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit, the intervals between the values are consistent (for instance, the difference in temperature between 20 degrees and 30 degrees is the same as between 70 degrees and 80 degrees).

However, the temperature scales have arbitrary zero points; for example, 0 degrees Celsius does not mean the absence of temperature, nor does 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, while you can calculate meaningful differences between values, you cannot make true ratio comparisons that involve zero in terms of actual quantities. This feature distinguishes interval data from ratio data, which has both equal intervals and a true zero point.

In contrast, nominal data represents categories without a meaningful order, while ordinal data arranges categories in a specific order but lacks consistent intervals. Ratio data would require a meaningful zero point where the absence of the measured attribute is possible, such as height or weight, which isn’t applicable for temperature as described.