In the context of the Large Data Set, what does 'absolute data' refer to?

• A. Absolute data are derived by dividing two numbers.
• B. Absolute data are percentages.
• C. Absolute data are scaled to a common base.
• D. Absolute data are raw numbers.

Answer: (D)

Absolute data are the raw counts—the actual numbers observed before any processing or transformation. In the Large Data Set, this means the original tallies or measurements, such as total numbers of items or events, not ratios, percentages, or normalized values. For example, 120 students or 45,000 transactions are absolute data. This differs from a value obtained by dividing two numbers (a ratio), a percentage (a relative part of a whole), or scaling to a common base (normalization). Absolute data give the unaltered magnitude, which is the starting point for analysis before any comparisons require standardization or proportioning.