What is the primary advantage of using a ratio scale?

The primary advantage of using a ratio scale is that it allows complete mathematical operations. This means that with a ratio scale, you can perform all the arithmetic operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. A ratio scale has a true zero point, which signifies the absence of the quantity being measured. For example, in measuring weight, a weight of zero means that there is no weight at all. This characteristic enables meaningful comparisons and calculations, such as saying that one value is twice or three times another value, which is not possible with other scales like nominal or ordinal scales. The ability to conduct a full range of statistical analyses makes ratio scales particularly powerful and useful in a variety of research contexts.