Mode, median and range · Usually met around P5
Kinds of data
Names: categorical. Counted: discrete. Measured: continuous.
How to do it
Method
Names: categorical. Counted: discrete. Measured: continuous
Height is measured: continuous. Goals are counted: discrete
Another way
Try a value in between
2.5 goals makes no sense → discrete
In full
Ask first: are these names, things counted, or things measured? Names or categories (favourite colour, an MTR line, a shirt number) are categorical data: you can't add them or put them in order of size. Things counted (how many people, goals scored) are discrete data: only certain values, usually whole numbers; there are never 2.5 people. Things measured (height, mass, time, temperature) are continuous data: between any two values there are endless more, like 152.5 cm between 152 cm and 153 cm. Another way to think: try a value in between, like 2.5. If it makes sense, the data are continuous; if not, discrete.
Worked examples
Have a go first, then open each one for the answer and the working.
Example 1
Ming measures the heights of 5 friends (cm): 151, 132, 133, 131, 143. What kind of data are these heights?
- A. Discrete data
- B. Not data at all
- C. Continuous data
- D. Categorical data
Choose the right answer
Show the answer and working
Answer: C. Continuous data
Height is measured: between any two heights there are endless more, so heights are continuous data.
Example 2
A football team's goals scored in 6 matches: 1, 1, 6, 6, 5, 1. What kind of data are these?
- A. Categorical data
- B. Discrete data
- C. Not data at all
- D. Continuous data
Choose the right answer
Show the answer and working
Answer: B. Discrete data
Goals are counted, so they can only be whole numbers 0, 1, 2…: discrete data.
Example 3
12 friends each name their favourite MTR line: Kwun Tong Line 5, Tsuen Wan Line 3, Tung Chung Line 4. What kind of data are the lines they name?
- A. Continuous data
- B. Categorical data
- C. Not data at all
- D. Discrete data
Choose the right answer
Show the answer and working
Answer: B. Categorical data
Each person gives a name (a category), not a number: categorical data. You can only count how many are in each.
Practise it in the game →Mode, median and range · Free to start, unlimited questions, no download