Discrete and Continuous Data

This version of the course is no longer available.
Need multiple seats for your university or lab? Get a quote
The page below is a sample from the LabCE course . Access the complete course and earn ASCLS P.A.C.E.-approved continuing education credits by subscribing online.

Learn more about (online CE course)
Discrete and Continuous Data

There are two main types of data that you might encounter. The first is discrete data, which is a count of whole events, objects or persons. For example, the number of people with a certain illness is a discrete quantity, ie, countable.

The other type of data is continuous data, which is the measure of a quantity such as length, volume, or time, which can occur at any value. For example, the concentration of glucose in the blood is a continuous quantity. Even if the instrument you are using rounds off values to whole numbers, these quantities are still continuous; ie, not countable.