Which statement best distinguishes qualitative data from quantitative data?

Which statement best distinguishes qualitative data from quantitative data?

• A. Qualitative data is descriptive and non-numeric
• B. Quantitative data is based on numbers while qualitative is non-numeric
• C. Qualitative data is always numerical
• D. Quantitative data describes opinions and feelings

Answer: (B)

The main idea is that data types are defined by how they are represented: numbers versus descriptions or categories. The best statement captures this by saying quantitative data is based on numbers while qualitative data is non-numeric. That distinction explains why you can measure things like counts, amounts, or measurements (sales figures, heights, test scores) as data, while qualitative data covers descriptions such as colors, categories, names, or open-ended responses describing opinions or feelings. It's worth noting that you can convert qualitative responses into numbers for analysis, but that coding doesn't change the data’s inherent nature from qualitative. The other options misstate the relationship—qualitative data isn’t always numerical, and quantitative data isn’t about opinions and feelings.

The main idea is that data types are defined by how they are represented: numbers versus descriptions or categories. The best statement captures this by saying quantitative data is based on numbers while qualitative data is non-numeric. That distinction explains why you can measure things like counts, amounts, or measurements (sales figures, heights, test scores) as data, while qualitative data covers descriptions such as colors, categories, names, or open-ended responses describing opinions or feelings. It's worth noting that you can convert qualitative responses into numbers for analysis, but that coding doesn't change the data’s inherent nature from qualitative. The other options misstate the relationship—qualitative data isn’t always numerical, and quantitative data isn’t about opinions and feelings.