Collecting data is an important part of any scientific investigation. There are two types of data. Quantitative data involves numbers such as "the length of the specimen is 4 centimeters." Qualitative data involves descriptions, characteristic or features such as "bubbles formed when the two liquids were combined."

The chart below describes the differences in quantitative and qualitative data.

Qualitative Data	Quantitative Data
Data that describes the characteristics such as colors, smells, texture, etc. Qualitative → Quality Example: It is cold outside.	Data which can be measured such as length, time, temperature, etc. Quantitative → Quantity Example: The temperature outside is 34° F.