RANDOM VARIABLES

VARIABLES
A variable is any characteristics, number, or quantity that
can be measured or counted. A variable may also be
called a data item. Age, sex, business income and
expenses, country of birth, capital expenditure, class
grades, eye colour and vehicle type are examples of
variables. It is called a variable because the value may
vary between data units in a population, and may
change in value over time.
RANDOM VARIABLES

A random variable takes numerical values that

describe the outcomes of some chance process.
Two main types of random variables:
1. Discrete random variables
2. Continuous random variables
DISCRETE RANDOM VARIABLE

Discrete variables are countable in a finite amount of

time.
For example, you can count the change in your pocket.
You can count the money in your bank account. You
could also count the amount of money
in everyone’s bank accounts. It might take you a long
time to count that last item, but the point is—it’s still
countable.
CONTINUOUS RANDOM VARIABLE

 Continuous Variables would take forever to count. In fact, you

would get to “forever” and never finish counting them.
For example, take age. You can’t count “age”. Why not?
Because it would literally take forever. For example, you could
be:
25 years, 10 months, 2 days, 5 hours, 4 seconds, 4 milliseconds,
8 nanoseconds, 99 picosends…and so on.
To sum up …

If a variable can take on any value

between two specified values, it is
called a continuous variable;
otherwise, it is called a discrete
variable.
AM I DISCRETE OR CONTINUOUS ??

1. If you start counting now and never,

ever, ever finish (i.e. the numbers go on
and on until infinity), you have what’s
called a variable.
AM I DISCRETE OR CONTINUOUS ??

If your variable is “Number of Planets around

a star,” then you can count all of the
numbers out. That is a variable.
AM I DISCRETE OR CONTINUOUS ??

The number of desks in the room

The average weight of all students
Number students in a class
Number of shoes you have
Number of books you have
Temperature in degree Celsius
Time spent in studying
Time (nearest hours) spent in studying
 ACTIVITY 1
Discrete vs.Continuous
November 8, 2019

Directions: Determine if the following set of data is discrete

or continuous.
1.The heights of your classmates.
2.The number of books on your shelves.
3.The weights of watermelons.
4.The age of a person.
5.The number of words in a book.
 ACTIVITY 1
Discrete vs.Continuous
November 7, 2019

Directions: Determine if the following set of data is discrete

or continuous.
6. number of heads when flipping three coins
7. time it takes to get to school
8. distance traveled between classes
9. students’ grade level
10. number of students present