Applying Analytics

18 Applying Analytics: A Practical Introduction

Fahrenheit and Celsius scales is not the tota l absence of random atomic motion

(known as absolute zero); rather, zero is placed at an arbitrary point. For the

Celsius scale, zero degree s is the freezing point of water, and for the Fahren-

heit scale it is the freezing point of a specific brine mixture. Another common

interval scale is the year, measured in the A.D. or C.E. systems (becaus e time

didn’t start at the year zero). The year scale is a particularly strange interval

scale be c ause there was no year 0; 1 B.C. was followed by 1 A.D.

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To illustrate a shortcoming o f interval sc ales, consider ...