Which of the following statements best describes the differences between qualitative and quantitative classification methods in data classification?

Qualitative classification groups data by describing characteristics, such as labeling a picture as “cat” or “dog” based on visual features, while quantitative classification uses numbers and calculations, like assigning a score to how many pixels a color occupies. In qualitative methods, the decision relies on expert judgment or predefined rules; in quantitative methods, it relies on measurable metrics and statistical models. Because qualitative methods focus on meaning and context, they are flexible but can be subjective, whereas quantitative methods offer precision and repeatability but require accurate measurement. For example, a teacher might label essays as “good,” “average,” or “poor” qualitatively, but a computer can score them by counting the use of advanced vocabulary quantitatively. Thus, the main difference is that qualitative classification depends on interpretation, while quantitative classification depends on measurable data.