Question

Determine whether the data are from discrete data or continuous data set.

Freshman 15In a study of weight gains by college students in their freshman year, researchers record the amounts of weight gained by randomly selected students.

Short answer

The amount of weight gained by a certain number of students is recorded as a continuous form of data.

Step-by-step solution

Given information

The amount of weight gained by a random sample of students is recorded.

Discrete and continuous data

• Discrete data:

A dataset that contains values that can be listed and counted is called a discrete dataset. For example, the number of gadgets in a household, the number of questions answered correctly in a multiple-choice based test, etc.

• Continuous data:

A dataset that contains values that can be measured and not counted is called a continuous dataset. For example, the number of hours it takes to finish a given work, the blood pressure of an individual, etc.

Classification of data as discrete or continuous

The Freshman 15 dataset records the amount of weight gained by newly enrolled students in their freshman year (first year of college). As weight gain can be measured and has units, thus it comes from acontinuous data set.