− | Continuous data exist within a range of values, with | + | Continuous data can take any of a range of values, which can only be estimated to some degree of accuracy (for example, by increasing the accuracy, the value obtained will change). As such, the possible number of different values which the data can take are infinite. Examples of types of continuous data are weight, height, volume of milk produced during a lactation, and the infectious period of a pathogen. Age may be classified as either discrete (as it is commonly measured in whole years) or continuous (as the concept of a fraction of a year is plausible) - of these, the latter is probably more appropriate. Of course, age could alternatively be categorised and treated as ordinal data. |