Why might categorical data need to be converted into numerical form?

Correct answer: Because many data-processing and machine-learning methods require numerical input

Many statistical and machine-learning algorithms calculate distances, weights, probabilities, or mathematical transformations, so they generally require numerical input. Categorical values such as “red,” “blue,” or “online” can be represented through one-hot encoding or another suitable method. Thus, option A is correct. Encoding does not imply that category names are wrong, hidden, or deleted; it changes their representation for computation.