Discrete or continuous III

Discrete or continuous III

Pencil and paper
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This task is about identifying whether data is 'discrete' or 'continuous'.
There are two kinds of data, discrete and continuous.
 
a) Write down two examples of discrete data.
 
 
i)
 
 
 
ii)
 
 
b)
Write down two examples of continuous data.
 
 
i)
 
 
  ii)
 
Task administration: 
This task is completed with pencil and paper only.
Level:
5
Curriculum info: 
Maths, Statistics, Statistical investigations
Keywords: 
discrete data, continuous data
Description of task: 
Students identify and write down two examples each of discrete data and continuous data.
Learning Progression Frameworks
This resource can provide evidence of learning associated with
Statistical investigations, set 6
within the Mathematics Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Read more about the Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Answers/responses: 
 

Y10 (05/2000)

a)

Any examples of data that can take only certain whole number values, such as the number of legs on animals or categories such as male/female.
[Accept integers given as an example.]

All 4 examples correct - very difficult
 
2-3 correct examples - difficult
b)

Any example of data that can take on any values, such as height of people.
[Accept decimals given as an example.]

NOTES:
Some data is hard to classify and could be seen as either continuous or discrete. 

  • Shoe length is continuous, but shoe size is discrete. Foot size could be seen either way.
  • Building height is continuous but number of floors is discrete.
  • Money can be continuous (i.e., an exact amount such as 2.34 cents) or discrete (i.e., coins and notes).
  • Age is continuous, but it appears to be discrete if it is given in a whole number of years.
  • Temperature is continuous but it appears to be discrete if it is given in a whole number of degrees.
For more information on discrete and continuous, click on the link Types of data: Statistics
Diagnostic and formative information: 
Common errors
  • Confuses continuous and discrete data.
  • Assumes discrete means finite rather than countable (the natural numbers are countable but infinite).
  • Treats shoe size as continuous rather than discrete (confuses size and length).