CLASSIFYING THE DATA AS DISCREATE OR CONTINOUS

A quantitative variable is one which has a numerical value, and is often is called a numerical variable. The information collected is called numerical data.

Quantitative variable can be either discreate or continuous.

Example 1 :

State whether these quantitative (or numerical) variables are discrete or continuous :

a) the time taken to run 1500 metres

b) the maximum temperature reached on a March day

c) the weight of cargo taken on a ship

d) the time taken for a battery to run down

e) the number of trips made by a taxi

f) the number of people in a theatre

g) the number of minutes spent sending text messages per day

Solution :

(a)  Since time is measurable, it is continuous data.

(b)  Since temperature is measurable, it is continuous data.

(c)  Since weight is measurable, it is continuous data.

(d)  Since time is measurable, it is continuous data.

(e)  Since number of trips is countable, it is discrete data.

(f)  Since number of people is countable, it is discrete data.

(g)  Number of minutes is measurable, it is continuous data.

Example 2 :

20 students were asked “How many TV sets do you have in your household?” and the following data was collected:

2,  1,  0,  3,  1,  2,  1,  3, 4, 0, 0, 2, 2, 0, 1,  1,  0,  1,  0,  1

Is the data discrete or continuous? Why?

Solution :

The given data is discrete, because we cannot have part of TV.

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