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How Science Works

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.

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