So they cannot be broken down into decimal or fraction. It is continuous because it is infinite. Discrete data only includes values that can only be counted in integers or whole numbers. We can compare discrete and continuous data by looking at how water comes out of a tap. We have not yet encountered data that could take any value within a defined range, known as, Continuous Data.. Continuous random variables explained. (1) The difference basically occurs because of an unbound precision in the numeric data. How you study this data should differ based on which group it falls into. It contains finite values, so subdivision isn’t possible. For example: Your weight. A race can be timed to a millisecond. Your weight is not a specific fixed number. The data we've looked at, throughout this course, have had a fixed range of values. Discrete vs Continuous data Sayed Maguire 1 year ago. When looking at a set of numbers, they are typically discrete (countable) variables or continuous (measurable) variables. This will certainly affect how it is measured as well. Time in a race. Continuous data can take on any value as it’s measured. What is the difference between discrete and continuous data? Discrete Data can only take certain values. 0 Votes 1 Answer from the example about weight being continuous, I would like to clarify my understanding of the difference between discrete and continuous numerical data. Discrete data is the type of quantitative data that relies on counts. In this lesson, we'll explore the difference between discrete and continuous data. Definition of Discrete Data. Example. Continuous random variable can be height, weight, length, mass, time, amounts and many more. Continuous Data. Discrete data contains a finite level of variance in the data points or intervals whereas contrary to this continuous data contains an infinite degree of variance in the sequential data patterns. Comparing discrete and continuous data. Discrete Data vs. Discrete data values being finite can even be predicted whereas, on the other hand, continuous data possess infinite values that cannot be predicted. Discrete data is geographic data that only occurs in specific locations. Vote Up Vote Down. For polygon data, discrete data has well defined boundaries. Discrete Data. Your weight can be any weight within the range of human weights. Discrete vs continuous data. This data is known as, Discrete Data. Point and line GIS data such as tree locations, rivers, and streets all fall into the category of discrete datasets. Again it’s not set to a specific fixed number.