Question

1. describe the difference between discrete and continuous variables, giving an example of each.

2. Explain why a correction for continuity is sometimes needed.

Answer 1

Discrete data

The data which can only take particular values. There may potentially be an infinite number of those values, but each is distinct and there's no grey area in between. Discrete data can be numeric, like numbers of apples it can also be categorical like red or blue, or male or female, or good or bad.

Examples :

Number of books published by an author

Number of cookies eaten by a person

Continuous data

This type of data is not restricted to defined separate values, but can occupy any value over a continuous range. Between any two continuous data values there may be an infinite number of others. Continuous data are always essentially numeric.

Examples :

Height of the students of a class

The distances between two cities