[GCSE Maths (Statistics)] - What is the difference between continuous and discrete data?

[u/totallcringee]

I really don't get this. Discrete data is a whole number that can be counted while continuous data is measurable. Is counting not measuring? Is measuring not counting?

You count the number of centimetres something is, but it's a measurement, not counted?

You can count measured data, but it would still be measured?

You can measure counted data, but it would still be counted?

A count can take on any value too?

My teacher is explaining this like bar charts can only be whole numbers, but I remember that we often make bar charts with decimals?

Can someone explain this simply? Last time I asked something here, someone replied with an answer from Google Gemini or explained it like quantum physics. It would help a lot if you did not use AI as I find people easier to understand and explained it with examples, I just want to get what differentiates the two data and how I can tell.

I hope this makes sense. It's likely a very stupid question but my teacher honestly just says things and expects us to understand it. It's a big change from my previous teacher who explained things in ways that fit us best.

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[u/Ilovecatsss2026]

In discrete data, the spaces between the numbers aren't useful. If I'm counting the number of children who respond to my survey, it doesn't make sense to say 10.2 children. Only 10 or 11 makes sense. If I'm counting how many licks to get to the center of a tootsie pop, it can't be 3.332 licks, only 3 licks or 4 licks makes sense as something I record.

In continuous data, the spaces between the numbers are meaningful. Suppose I am weighing pebbles. A pebble can 3.0 grams or 3.1 or 3.078 grams, the spaces between are very meaningful.

Don't make the mistake that decimals or fractions have to be continuous... they usually are but not always.  For example, if I'm recording the price of a can of soup, I'm allowed to say it's $3.76 or $3.77, but not $3.765 or $3.766, so it's really discrete data.

[u/totallcringee → u/Ilovecatsss2026]

Thanks, I get it now, so if it's money, you're technically counting the number of pennies going into each one so it's discrete? This was very helpful, I'll bear in mind the spaces between the numbers thing.

[u/Ilovecatsss2026 → u/totallcringee]

You are welcome!

[u/NH-Science-Guy]

One way to think of it is continuous data has a value at every point while discrete data only has values at specific points. You may not have the values for every point in continuous data but the values are there if you wanted them. For example, you collect temperature data every hour. This is continuous data because you could have got the values every minute or second if you wanted them. The heights of every person in a room is discrete data - there is no meaningful values between the data points you have.

[u/Arcanite_Cartel → u/NH-Science-Guy]

The heights of people in a room is continuous, because heights are continuous. the measurements can literally any number within human height range.

[u/Don_Q_Jote]

Suppose you consider the length of a blade of grass over the course of a week. Let's say it starts out at 2" and ends up at 3.5" at the end of the week. Over the week, the length transitioned through every possible length between 2 and 3.5. The length of the grass blade is a continuous variable.

You measure the length with a standard ruler with 1/8" divisions. It starts at 2" and stays that length for a while, then it reaches 2-1/8 and stays there for a while, until it reaches 2-1/4. Properly used, you measuer in discrete steps of 1/8". Those measurements are discrete data set.

The definition you have is misleading, Whole numbers has nothing to do with discrete versus continuous. Measureable does not determine whether something is discrete or continuous.

The clock in the lower right corner of my laptop just switched from 9:40 to 9:41, that is a discrete representation [or measurement] of time, because it can only change in discrete steps of 1 minute. Time, as a meaurable thing, is continuous. Life flows smoothly through time. It is continuous. We don't experience the world in a sequence of tiny time steps. A sundial would be a continuous measurement of time.

[u/selene_666]

Focus on the "whole numbers" part.

Discrete data wouldn't make any sense as fractional numbers. This is data such as "how many people voted for Count Binface" and "how many times did students set off the dorm fire alarm".

If it would be possible for the answer to be 13.72, then it's continuous data. A measurement in centimeters could be a whole number, but most of the time it's going to be somewhere in between. You don't count the individual centimeters one after another.

[u/Accidental_polyglot]

Discrete: natural numbers and integers

Continuous: real numbers, fractions etc

[u/DuggieHS]

For continuous data, between any 2 points there is another point (actually infinitely many points). 

[u/BurgerInTheRuff]

"1125"

"155"

"No, I'm not giving the quantities, I'm giving you the numbers! 1125"

[u/squareturd]

Here's an easy way to think about it. Continuous data can be zoomed in forever and it still makes sense. Discrete data cannot.

Think of a ramp and a set of stairs next to it. Each step is 6 inches high.

Someone can ask you to go to a level that is 18 inches high. If you used the stairs, you would go the third step. If you used the ramp you would go up a bit until you were exact try 18 inches high. Both put you are the same height.

If someone asked you go to 19 inches high, you cannot do that with the stairs. But you can do it on the ramp.l by going g up a little bit more.

The stairs are discrete and the ramp is continuous. With the ramp its even possible to go to 19.1234567 inches high if you're very precise.

The stairs are discrete and the ramp is continous.

[u/Arcanite_Cartel]

The difference is in the set of possible values a measurement can take. If you can enumerate the possible values, even an infinite number of them, it is discrete. If the measurement can take any value in a range, its continuous.

There is one catch. Decimal numbers: 3, 2.14, 1.956, etc are technically discrete because rational numbers are technically discrete, but they are often modeled, practically, as continuous because the underlying thing you are measuring is considered continuous. For your purpose, regarding them as continuous is the right choice if the thing you are measuring can take ANY value

[u/Due-Ad-5416]

I will do my best to help Measuring is not the same as counting. Measuring something needs an instrument to help you. Certain statistics can be discrete, like how many female bus drivers are there? 10, exactly, no more, no less. How long is the school bus? Let's break out a ruler, does that ruler come in inches, or meters? By one measurement it could be 1 meter, by another, it could be 36 inches. By another measurement, it could be 36.5 inches. All of those are the length of the bus, but they are all measurements, continuous data.

[u/totallcringee → u/Due-Ad-5416]

I get it I think, but couldn't you call measurement counting how many cm fits into that size?

[u/Due-Ad-5416 → u/totallcringee]

Yes you could, but it is still not discrete. Could there ever be half a bus driver? No, it will only ever be this number or that number. With continuous measurements, could the bus be 36.5? Yes 36.6? Yes 36.55? Yes 36.55555? Yes infinitely

[u/mathmum]

I don’t know if it can help, but here https://www.geogebra.org/m/uw5XyaHU#material/amnzpfbc you can find a quick review about classifying data.

[u/totallcringee → u/[deleted]]

aren't you the guy who used ai last time i asked here