Collecting. Which of these is CONTINUOUS data?

1. The time taken to run 100 m
2. The number of goals scored
3. The number of learners in a class
4. The number of cars in a car park

Answer: The time taken to run 100 m

Continuous data is MEASURED and can take any value in a range.

Time can be 12,47 seconds. The others are all counted in whole numbers.

Tip: Quick test: can the answer ever be a half? If yes, it is continuous.

Collecting. The number of tries scored by teams in the rugby world cup is an example of:

1. Discrete data
2. Continuous data
3. Categorical data
4. Grouped data

Answer: Discrete data

You COUNT tries, and you cannot score half a try.

Collecting. You want to know the favourite sport of learners at your school. What is the POPULATION?

1. Every learner at the school
2. The learners you actually ask
3. The Grade 8 learners only
4. The school's sports teams

Answer: Every learner at the school

The population is EVERYONE you want to know about.

The smaller group you actually ask is the sample.

Collecting. Why is asking only the netball team about favourite sports a POOR sample?

1. It is not representative of the whole school
2. The sample is too large
3. Netball players cannot answer questions
4. Samples are never allowed

Answer: It is not representative of the whole school

A sample must REPRESENT the population it is drawn from.

Netball players are far more likely to choose netball, so the result is biased.

Collecting. What is wrong with the question: "Don't you agree that homework is boring?"

1. It is leading - it pushes the person towards one answer
2. It is too short
3. It uses the word homework
4. Nothing is wrong with it

Answer: It is leading - it pushes the person towards one answer

A leading question suggests the answer the asker wants.

Better: "Do you find homework boring? Yes / No / Sometimes"