MediumStatistics & Data ScienceMiddle Stage (6–8)High School (9–10)High School (11–12)UndergraduateGeneralStatistics Basics › Data and SamplingConceptual
Say whether each one is discrete (counted) or continuous (measured).
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
Say whether each one is discrete (counted) or continuous (measured).
- the number of eggs in a box
- the time that a kettle takes to boil
- the mass of a parcel
- the number of pages read in a day
- the length of a river
- the number of people on a bus
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
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.
Step 1. Counted. (a) eggs, (d) pages and (f) people are counted in whole steps. They are discrete.
Step 2. Measured. (b) a time, (c) a mass and (e) a length are measured. They can take any value in a range, so they are continuous.
A test. If "2.5 of them" makes sense, the data is continuous. Two and a half eggs is not a count of eggs.
Discussion (0)
Log in to join the discussion.
Loading…