Headings How
Science Works Search Questions 
gcsescience.com 7 gcsescience.com
Variables - Continuous - Ordered - Categoric - Discrete.
There are different types of
variable
and some give you more information than others.
A variable which can have any
numerical
value
is called a continuous variable.
Continuous variables give you
the most information
and can be plotted as a line graph.
Examples of continuous variables are length, temperature, time,
weight,
voltage, and
many more.
A variable which belongs to a
particular category is called
a categoric variable. A category is a name of a group of
things.
Categoric variables give you less information
than continuous variables. They can be shown using bar charts.
Examples of categoric variables are elements, compounds,
metals and
insulators.
Some categoric variables
have groups within them
and the groups are called ordered variables.
Ordered variables give you more information than
categoric variables
but less information than
continuous variables.
An example of an ordered variable would be
small, medium or large
lumps of calcium carbonate.
Finally, a variable which can only
have whole numbers
is called a discrete variable. Whole
numbers are called integers.
Examples of discrete variables would be the number of wires in a
cable,
the number of people in a group or the number of rings of bark in a
tree.
Scientists look for links between variables to explain the data.
Headings How
Science Works Search Questions
gcsescience.com Chemistry Contents Physics Contents gcsescience.com
Copyright © 2008 Dr. Colin France. All Rights Reserved.