ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES

Categorical variables:

  • Dominant hand § Age group (young or old)
  • Highest degree earned

Quantitative variables:

  • Age of a structure
  • Height of a child
  • Concentration of a sample
ENDURING UNDERSTANDING

Given that variation may be random or not, conclusions are uncertain.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE
  • Identify variables in a set of data. [Skill 2.A]
  • Classify types of variables. [Skill 2.A]
ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE
  • VAR-1.B.1 A variable is a characteristic that changes from one individual to another. 
  • VAR-1.C.1 A categorical variable takes on values that are category names or group labels.
  • VAR-1.C.2 A quantitative variable is one that takes on numerical values for a measured or counted quantity.