To determine the correct type of data ranking described in the question, let's analyze each option:
A) Ratio data:
- Ratio data involves numerical values that have a true zero point, meaning that zero indicates the absence of the measured attribute.
- Examples include height, weight, and time.
B) Nominal data:
- Nominal data refers to categories that do not have a specific order.
- Examples include gender, hair color, or the types of fruit (like apples, oranges, bananas).
C) Ordinal data:
- Ordinal data represents categories with a meaningful order but does not specify the exact differences between these categories.
- Examples include rankings, such as 1st place, 2nd place, and 3rd place, or age groups as given in the question: 17-20, 21-24, 25-28, etc.
D) Interval data:
- Interval data represents values where the intervals between numbers are consistent but there is no true zero point.
- Examples include temperature in Celsius or Fahrenheit.
### Solution:
The question describes using numbers to represent categories with an implied order but does not specify the exact differences between the groups. The categories given (1. 17-20, 2. 21-24, 3. 25-28, etc.) clearly have an order but the differences between them are not necessarily constant.
Given this analysis, the correct type of data is Ordinal data (C).
