State whether the data described below are discrete or continuous, and explain why.
The number of pieces of mail a person receives each day.
A. The data are discrete because the data can take on any value in an interval.
B. The data are continuous because the data can take on any value in an interval.
C. The data are discrete because the data can only take on specific values. D. The data are continuous because the data ean only take on specific values.
do you normally receive fractions of a letter?
The answer to this question is C
C. The data are discrete because the data can only take on specific values.
In this context, the number of pieces of mail a person receives each day can only be a whole number (such as 0, 1, 2, 3, etc.). It is not possible for someone to receive a fraction or a continuous range of mail pieces. Therefore, the data is discrete.
The correct answer is C. The data are discrete because the data can only take on specific values.
In this case, the number of pieces of mail a person receives each day is a countable and whole number. It cannot take on any value in an interval, such as 2.5 pieces of mail or 3.75 pieces of mail. It can only take on specific values such as 0, 1, 2, 3, and so on. This makes it a discrete variable.
To determine whether data is discrete or continuous, you need to consider the possible values it can take on. If the values can only be specific and countable numbers (often whole numbers), then the data is discrete. If the values can be any value within a range or interval, the data is continuous.