Which characteristic defines attributes data?

• A. It is continuous
• B. It is discrete
• C. It can be expensive to collect
• D. It is read from a scale of measurement

Answer: (B)

Attributes data is characterized as discrete because it represents counts or categories rather than measurements along a continuous scale. This type of data often reflects the presence or absence of a characteristic, such as pass/fail, yes/no, or defective/non-defective. Each observation is categorized into distinct classes, hence the term "discrete."

In contrast, continuous data represents values within a range and can take on any number within that range, measuring attributes like length, weight, or temperature. The other options, while relevant to various types of data, do not effectively capture the essence of attributes data. For example, the notion of expense in data collection pertains to resource allocation rather than the fundamental nature of attributes data itself.