Absolute scale
This article possibly contains original research. (March 2016) |
There is no single definition of an absolute scale. In statistics and measurement theory, it is simply a ratio scale in which the unit of measurement is fixed, and values are obtained by counting.
Features
An absolute scale differs from an arbitrary, or "relative", scale, which begins at some point selected by a person and can progress in both directions. An absolute scale begins at a natural minimum, leaving only one direction in which to progress.
An absolute scale can only be applied to measurements in which a true minimum is known to exist. Time, for example, which does not have a clearly known beginning, is measured on a relative scale, with an arbitrary zero-point such as the conventional date of the birth of Jesus (see Anno Domini) or the accession of an emperor. Temperature, on the other hand, has a known minimum, absolute zero (where volume of an ideal gas becomes zero), and therefore, can be measured either in absolute terms (e.g. kelvin), or relative to a reference temperature (e.g. degree Celsius).
Uses
Absolute scales are used when precise values are needed in comparison to a natural, unchanging zero point. Measurements of
References
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- ^ "Absolute vs Relative Scales". www.westfield.ma.edu. Retrieved 2021-10-03.
- ^ "Absolute Scale definition | Psychology Glossary | alleydog.com". www.alleydog.com. Retrieved 2021-10-03.
- ^ Karel Berka (1983), Measurement: Its Concepts, Theories and Problems, D. Reidel Publishing, pp. 87–91
- ^ Elbert Russell (2012), The Scientific Foundation of Neuropsychological Assessment, Elsevier, pp. 98–101
- ^ Robert T. Balmer (2011), Modern Engineering Thermodynamics – Textbook with Tables Booklet, Elsevier, p. 40