Which measurement scale includes an absolute zero?

The measurement scale that includes an absolute zero is the ratio scale. This type of scale possesses all the properties of a nominal and ordinal scale, but it also has a true zero point, which indicates the absence of the quantity being measured. For example, zero on a temperature scale in the context of Kelvin reflects a complete absence of thermal energy, and zero weight indicates that an object has no mass.

In research and statistics, the presence of an absolute zero allows for a full range of mathematical operations, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. This property makes the ratio scale particularly powerful for representing relationships in quantitative data, such as in height, weight, and distance measurements. Other scales, such as nominal, ordinal, and interval, do not have this defining characteristic, limiting their use in certain mathematical calculations and interpretations.