Discrete variables
Statistics
A variable is a quantity that has changing values. A discrete variable is a variable that can only take on a certain number of values. In other words, they don’t have an infinite number of values. If you can count a set of items, then it’s a discrete variable. The opposite of a discrete variable is a continuous variable. Continuous variables can take on an infinite number of possibilities.
Some examples of discrete variables: Number of quarters in a purse, jar, or bank. Discrete because there can only be a certain number of coins (1,2,3,4,5…). Coins don’t come in amounts of 2.3 coins or 10 1/2 coins, so it isn’t possible for there to be an infinite number of possibilities. In addition, a purse or even a bank is restricted by size so there can only be so many coins. The number of cars in a parking lot. A parking lot can only hold a certain number of cars. Points on a 10-point rating scale. If you’re graded on a 10-point scale, the only possible values are 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9, and 10. Ages on birthday cards. Birthday cards only come in years…they don’t come in fractions. So there are a finite amount of possibilities (presumably, about one hundred).