Introduction to Physical Science/1.2

=Data= Data is information gathered from experimentation. Data can be any type of info that relates to the experiment. Data is usually classified as one of the following types.

Qualitative
Qualitative data is data that deals with the qualities of the things obseved. Qualitative data records such things as:
 * Color
 * Shape
 * Texture
 * Opacity
 * Odor
 * Sound

Quantitative
Quantitative data is data that records a number that represents a measurement. Quantitative data is usually a number followed by a label that describes which type of measurement it is. Quantitative data includes measurements such as:
 * Length
 * Mass
 * Volume
 * Density
 * Concentration
 * Solubility

=Organizing Data= Data is most useful in science when it is organized into a recognizable format. Formatting allows very fast reading and easy use in drawing conclusion.

Tables and Charts
Tables are graphical ways of representing data. Data represented in tables can be organized to allow ease of access and to permit faster reading. For example, if one was testing tab water contamination, you would have columns of various contaminants and rows for the location from which the water was obtained. Below is an example of a table: As can be seen from the table, it is possible to organize data in such a way as to allow fast reading with minimal work. Tables are more useful for larger sets of data and this was just an example.