Measurement scales are used to categorize and quantify variables.

Nominal Scale:

Used for labeling variables without any quantitative value. Categories are mutually exclusive and unordered.

Example: Inventory list of laptops categorized by brand or model.

Ordinal Scale:

Categorizes variables with a meaningful order but intervals are not equally spaced.

Example: Customer satisfaction ratings (poor, fair, good, excellent).

Interval Scale:

Ordered categories with equal intervals, but no true zero point.

Example: Temperature in Celsius.

Ratio Scale:

Ordered categories with equal intervals and a true zero point.

Example: Weight, height.

An inventory list of laptops in a sales office categorizes laptops into different groups without implying order or quantity, fitting the nominal scale.

References: Measurement theory and statistics textbooks.