Question

Determine whether the random variable is discrete or continuous.

a. the distance a baseball travels in the air after being hitdistance a baseball travels in the air after being hit.
b. the number of textbook authors now sitting at a computernumber of textbook authors now sitting at a computer.
c. the number of points scored during a basketball gamenumber of points scored during a basketball game.
d. the amount of snowfallamount of snowfall.
e. the square footage of a housesquare footage of a house.

Answer 1

If we count a quantity, it's discrete.
If we measure a quantity, its continuous.
The number of people in a crowd is discrete. So are the # of game points scored.
Since every dimension of a house is a continuous random variable, the square footage is also.
See whether you can now identify which of the above choices is discrete and which is continuous.