Lesson Y9-U05-L04

Y9-U05-L04 Collecting Quantitative Data Quiz: KS3 Geography, Unit 17

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson Y9-U05-L04, Collecting Quantitative Data: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Geography (National Curriculum), Unit 17: Year 9: Thinking Like a Geographer: Fieldwork and Geographical Enquiry, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is quantitative data?

    • Information about quality or feelings, described using words only
    • Information recorded as numbers, such as counts or measurements
    • Information that cannot be repeated by any other person
    • Information gathered from a map drawn in the field

  2. Which of these is an example of qualitative data?

    • A count of 18 pedestrians walking past in one minute
    • A photograph and a written description of litter on a footpath
    • A width of 4.2 cm measured on a pebble with a ruler
    • A temperature of 14 degrees Celsius taken at noon

  3. What is a variable in fieldwork?

    • The map drawn to show where each reading was taken
    • The fixed instrument that you use to take each measurement, such as a tape or thermometer
    • The thing you measure that can change, such as river width or traffic count
    • The final conclusion written at the end of the enquiry

  4. Which instrument would you use to measure the width of a river channel?

    • A rain gauge fixed on the bank above the river
    • A tally chart used to count the passing pedestrians
    • A thermometer placed in the water at the site
    • A tape measure

  5. What does 'reliable' mean for a fieldwork method?

    • Repeating it gives the same result, so the data can be trusted
    • The method produces the largest possible number of readings in the time given
    • The method is cheap to carry out and needs no planning
    • The method is carried out only by an experienced adult

  6. Why do geographers take repeat readings at each site?

    • To replace the need for a clear written method
    • To reduce error and calculate a fairer average
    • To make the fieldwork take longer so that it looks serious
    • To avoid having to present the data on any graph

  7. Calculate the mean of the readings 10 cm, 12 cm and 14 cm.

    • 12 cm
    • 36 cm
    • 10 cm
    • 14 cm

  8. Three counts of cars were 38, 52 and 39. What is the mean count?

    • 52 cars per 5 minutes
    • 38 cars per 5 minutes
    • 43 cars per 5 minutes
    • 129 cars per 5 minutes

  9. Readings at one site were 5, 6 and 40. Which value is the anomaly?

    • 6, because it sits exactly in the middle of the set
    • All three values, because they were measured by the same person
    • 5, because it is the smallest value in the set
    • 40, because it is far away from the other readings

  10. Why is a clear, written method important in fieldwork?

    • So that only the teacher is able to take the readings
    • So that the method can be hidden from other pupils in the class
    • So that the data can be presented without any need for a graph
    • So another person can repeat it exactly and get the same data

  11. Why are numbers easier to compare than written descriptions?

    • Numbers always describe a place more vividly than words can in every single case
    • Numbers never contain any errors or anomalies at all
    • Numbers can only be recorded by a computer in the field
    • Numbers can be graphed, ranked and averaged in an objective way

  12. What is the mean of the depth readings 8 cm, 10 cm and 12 cm?

    • 8 cm
    • 10 cm
    • 30 cm
    • 12 cm

  13. Which of these is a quantitative measurement?

    • A description of the noise as overwhelming and unpleasant
    • A photograph of the litter lying on the footpath
    • A temperature of 14 degrees Celsius taken at noon
    • An opinion that the beach feels very crowded this summer

  14. A student takes only one reading at each site on a single rainy day. Which problem most lowers reliability?

    • The student used too many instruments to take the readings
    • One reading may be a chance result, and one day may not be typical
    • The student wrote the readings down in pencil, not in ink
    • The student recorded the readings using a tally chart

  15. Which description of a method is the most reliable?

    • Count cars for a bit while standing near the shops
    • Count cars once, when the traffic looks quite heavy
    • Count all cars passing the bus stop for exactly 5 minutes, three times
    • Count cars whenever you have a spare moment during the day

  16. A river speed was measured at 0.6 m/s, 0.7 m/s and 0.8 m/s. What is the mean speed?

    • 0.8 m/s
    • 2.1 m/s
    • 0.7 m/s
    • 0.6 m/s

  17. Why does a clear step-by-step method help geographers trust their data?

    • The method means the data never needs to be checked again
    • The method removes the need to take repeat readings at all
    • The method guarantees that the conclusion will be correct
    • Anyone copying the steps should get the same data

  18. Why should an enquiry say which unit it measured the variable in?

    • So that the instrument does not need to be calibrated
    • So that the mean can be found without any calculation
    • So that readers know exactly what each number means
    • So that the data can be sorted into qualitative groups

  19. Evaluate in one sentence: is a larger number of repeat readings always more reliable?

    • Yes, because more readings always remove every possible error
    • Not always, because repeats taken with a poor method can still be unreliable
    • No, because repeat readings can never be used to calculate a mean
    • Yes, because the mean of any number of readings is always correct

  20. What is the mean of 20, 22 and 24?

    • 20
    • 66
    • 22
    • 24

All KS3 Geography quizzes