Managament accounting

Discrete and continuous data Quantitative (measurable) data may be classified as being discrete or continuous. (a) Discrete data are data which can only take on a finite or countable number of values within a given range. (b) Continuous data are data which can take on any value. They are measured rather than counted. An example of discrete data is the number of goals scored by Arsenal against Chelsea in the FA Cup Final: Arsenal could score 0, 1, 2, 3 or even 4 goals (discrete variables = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4), but they cannot score 1½ or 2½ goals. Continuous data include the heights of all the members of your family, as these can take on any value: 1.542 m, 1.639 m and 1.492 m for example. Continuous variables = 1.542, 1.639, 1.492.