Continuous variable

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This glossary is far from complete. We are constantly adding math terms.
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Definition

Continuous variable A variable that may take on any value in a certain range. No measured variable is truly continuous; however, discrete variables measured with enough precision may be considered continuous for practical purposes. A variable that is not continuous is known as discrete.

Examples

The following are examples of continuous variables:

• Weight of a fire fighter
• Length of a yawn in minutes
• Distance a paper airplane flies
• Average daily temperature

Note that a rounded measure of a continuous variable is technically no longer continuous, but may be treated as continuous for practical purposes.

Web Resources

Statistics Online Computational Resource - Types of Data Online Statistics: An Interactive Multimedia Course of Study, Chapter: 1. Introduction, Section: Variables

Acknowledgements

Portions of this entry were adapted from

• Continuous Variables at Online Statistics Education: An Interactive Multimedia Course of Study. Project Leader: David M. Lane, Rice University. Retrieved 27 January 2012.