Discrete data consist of separate, countable values, such as the number of siblings or books, whereas continuous data arise from measurement and can take any value within an interval, such as height, time, or temperature. The distinction depends on how the quantity is generated, not merely on whether recorded values contain decimals: measurements may be rounded, and counts are not made continuous by notation; this understanding supports choosing appropriate statistical representations and interpreting data distributions.
Discrete data are values you count. They are separate values, usually whole numbers, such as .
Continuous data are values you measure. They can take any value within a range, including decimals, such as or .
A useful question is:
Is this quantity counted, or is it measured?
A teacher records two pieces of information about each student:
Pets are counted. A student might have or pets, but not pets.
Therefore, the number of pets is discrete data.
Height is measured. A student’s height could be , , or .
Therefore, height is continuous data.
Even if the teacher records height only to the nearest centimetre, such as , height is still continuous because it was produced by measurement.
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