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The Global Insight

What are examples of discrete variables?

Author

Sarah Garza

Updated on February 22, 2026

Discrete variables are countable in a finite amount of time. For example, you can count the change in your pocket. You can count the money in your bank account. You could also count the amount of money in everyone’s bank accounts.

What are the values a variable can assume?

A variable is a characteristic that may assume more than one set of values to which a numerical measure can be assigned. Height, age, amount of income, province or country of birth, grades obtained at school and type of housing are all examples of variables.

Which are discrete variables?

A discrete variable is a variable whose value is obtained by counting. Examples: number of students present. number of red marbles in a jar. number of heads when flipping three coins. students’ grade level.

What is the discrete data?

Discrete data is information that can only take certain values. This type of data is often represented using tally charts, bar charts or pie charts. Continuous data is data that can take any value. Height, weight, temperature and length are all examples of continuous data.

Is time a discrete variable?

Discrete time views values of variables as occurring at distinct, separate “points in time”, or equivalently as being unchanged throughout each non-zero region of time (“time period”)—that is, time is viewed as a discrete variable.

Is gender a discrete variable?

Discrete data: when the variable is restricted to specific defined values. For example, “male” or “female” are categorical discrete data values.

What type of variable is dress size?

Ordinal Variable: Examples of ordinal categorical variables include academic grades (i.e. A, B, C), clothing size (i.e. small, medium, large, extra large) and attitudes (i.e. strongly agree, agree, disagree, strongly disagree). If these categories were equally spaced, then the variable would be an interval variable.

What type of variable is values?

Quantitative variables

Type of variableWhat does the data represent?
Discrete variables (aka integer variables)Counts of individual items or values.
Continuous variables (aka ratio variables)Measurements of continuous or non-finite values.

Is marks a discrete variable?

Marks scored in a test can have have only integer value. Hence, it is a discrete variable.

What is discrete math example?

Discrete mathematics is the study of mathematical structures that are countable or otherwise distinct and separable. Examples of structures that are discrete are combinations, graphs, and logical statements. Discrete structures can be counted, arranged, placed into sets, and put into ratios with one another.

When does a discrete variable become a random variable?

It becomes a random variable when its values vary randomly or by chance Discrete random variable: A variable that can take only integer values (e.g. 0, 1, and 2) Continuous random variable: A variable that can take any value in a specified interval falling within its plausible range (e.g. 5, 5.6, 8.8, 10, and 12.4) 4 5.

How to find the mean of a discrete variable?

11. The mean and standard deviation of the probability distribution of discrete variables The mean of a discrete random variable x (also called the expected value of x) is expressed by: The standard deviation of a discrete variable x is expressed by: 11 12.

Which is an example of a continuous random variable?

A continuous random variable is a random variable with an interval (either \fnite or in\fnite) of real numbers for its range. Example (Continuous Random Variable) Time of a reaction. Electrical current. Weight. 5/23 Discrete Random Variables

How to calculate the sample value of a random variable?

S = fd;gd;ggd;gggd;:::g Let X be the trial number at which the experiment terminates (i.e. the sample at which the \frst defect is found). The possible values for the random variable X are in the set f1;2;3;:::g We may skip a formal description of the sample space S and move right into the random variable of interest X. 6/23