Forum Thread: How to Determine if Data Is Discrete or Continuous

How do you tell if data is discrete or continuous?

Discrete data is data that has distinguishable spaces between values.
Often it is data that is counted.
On a graph the ordered pairs are at specific locations, so the graph is not connected, but only points
Some examples of discrete data include,
Dogs
People
Tickets you have for a show.
Continuous data is data that falls on a continuum.
On a graph it is all of the points, and the points in between.
It is data that can be measured as finely as possible.
It is often a physical measure.
Discreet data will often will contain fractions or decimals.
Some examples of continuous data include,
Time
Age
Height
Weight
Let's look at two examples and see the differences between these types of data.
Family Members
Discrete 5 family members
Continuous: Range between 5 feet and 6 feet tall
Books, books on your book shelf.
The discreet data is that you have 6 books on your bookshelf.
Continuous data is that they range in height from 15 to 30 cm in length