Three columns, three kinds
A help desk sheet has three columns: Tickets in the room, Temperature of the server and Priority.
The tickets are whole numbers: you cannot have 2.5 tickets. The temperature can be 21.4 or 21.43. The priority is a label: low, medium or high. Each column needs different handling.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can name a value as counted, measured or a label, and say what suits each.
Key words
| Word | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Quantitative data | Data that is a number you can count or measure. | 7 tickets |
| Discrete value | A value you count, with only whole steps between. | 7 tickets |
| Continuous value | A value you measure, which can be any number in a range. | 21.4 degrees |
| Categorical value | A value that is a label from a fixed list. | high |
| Category | A group that items are put into. | Priority |
| Transformation | A change from one form of data to another. | Minutes into fast, ok or slow |
| Suitable | Right for the job. | A label suits a pie chart. |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Starter: what you already know
Have a go
Starter: what you already know
3 questionsHave a go: your answers are marked here and then forgotten. Sign in if you would like your score kept, and to pick up where you left off.Sign in to keep your score
Your answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
Three kinds of quantitative value
Quantitative data takes three forms:
- Discrete values are counted in whole steps: 7 tickets, 3 servers.
- Continuous values are measured and can be any number in a range: 21.4 degrees, 3.75 seconds.
- Categorical values are labels from a fixed list: low, medium, high.
Worked example: a help desk sheet
| Column | Example | Kind | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tickets in the room | 7 | Discrete | You count them. There is no 7.5. |
| Server temperature | 21.4 | Continuous | You measure it. It can be 21.43. |
| Priority | high | Categorical | One label from a short list |
| Cables in a drawer | 12 | Discrete | You count them. |
| Download speed | 48.2 | Continuous | You measure it. |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Check: which kind of value?
Have a go
Check: which kind of value?
3 questionsHave a go: your answers are marked here and then forgotten. Sign in if you would like your score kept, and to pick up where you left off.Sign in to keep your score
Your answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.