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You want to learn about the reading habits of your class.
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
You want to learn about the reading habits of your class. Write three fair questions:
- one whose answers are nominal data,
- one whose answers are discrete data,
- one whose answers are continuous data.
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
A fair question is neutral. It asks for a fact, and does not tell people what to answer. Categorical data is a word or a label: nominal with no order, ordinal with an order. Numerical data is a number: discrete if we count it, continuous if we measure it. A number used as a label, such as a PIN code, is categorical.
The worked solution
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Here is one good set. Many other answers are right too.
Step 1. Nominal. "Which kind of book do you like best: stories, comics, science or history?" The answers are labels with no order.
Step 2. Discrete. "How many books did you finish last month?" We count books in whole steps.
Step 3. Continuous. "How long did you read yesterday, in minutes?" A time is measured.
Check. None of the three questions tells people what to answer.
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