Which data scale assigns numbers solely for identification (no inherent order)?

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

Answer: (A)

Numbers used solely as identifiers with no inherent order define the nominal data scale. In this scale, labels categorize observations but don’t convey any ranking or magnitude. For example, patient IDs like 001, 002 are just labels; one is not inherently greater or lesser than another. This differs from the ordinal scale, where labels indicate order (like stage I vs II), the interval scale where values are equally spaced but have no true zero, and the ratio scale, which has a true zero and meaningful ratios (like height or weight). Therefore, identification numbers belong to the nominal scale.