Which of the following are examples of continuous data? Select all that apply. Select one or more
a. Year of death
b. Make of motorbike
c. Length of polyester fibres
d. Number of people born on February 29th 3.
e. Age of mother when giving birth in years
f. Make of computer
g. Number of cars owned
h. concentration of magnesium ions in drinking water
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
The examples of continuous data from the given options are:
- c. Length of polyester fibers
- e. Age of mother when giving birth in years
- h. Concentration of magnesium ions in drinking water
Explanation:
Continuous data refers to data that can take on any value within a given range. These values are measurable and not restricted to discrete, fixed categories. Continuous data can be divided into smaller units and typically involves measurements with decimals or fractions.
Let’s break it down:
- Length of polyester fibers (c): This is a continuous variable because the length can vary across a wide range and can take on any value, including decimal points. You could measure fiber lengths as 5.6 cm, 10.3 cm, and so on, making it continuous.
- Age of mother when giving birth (e): Age is continuous because it can be measured in years, months, or even days. While age is often reported in whole years, it’s theoretically a continuous variable because it can have fractional values.
- Concentration of magnesium ions in drinking water (h): This is a continuous variable because the concentration can vary and be measured precisely with decimals. You could measure magnesium concentration as 5.6 mg/L, 7.2 mg/L, and so on, representing a continuous range.
Non-Continuous Data (Discrete Data):
- Year of death (a): Although it may seem like a continuous variable, the year of death is discrete because it refers to specific, whole years. It can only take integer values.
- Make of motorbike (b): This is categorical (nominal) data, as “make” refers to different categories or labels and doesn’t involve numerical measurements.
- Number of people born on February 29th (d): This is discrete data because it counts specific instances (number of people), which are whole numbers.
- Make of computer (f): Similar to the make of motorbike, this is categorical data, not continuous.
- Number of cars owned (g): This is discrete data since it refers to a count of cars, and can only be whole numbers.
Image Explanation:
Now I will generate an image to visually explain the difference between continuous and discrete data.
Here is the image illustrating the difference between continuous and discrete data. The left side shows examples of continuous data, where values can be measured with decimals, while the right side shows examples of discrete data, which are countable and consist of whole numbers.
Let me know if you need further clarification!
