Final answer:
The type of coke dispensed by a soft drink machine, when considering only regular or diet coke, is a categorical variable, which is represented in statistics by distinct groups or categories.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of coke dispensed by a soft drink machine, either regular coke or diet coke, is a categorical variable. In statistics, a categorical variable is a variable that can take on one of a limited, and usually fixed, number of possible values, assigning each individual or other unit of observation to a particular group or nominal category on the basis of some qualitative property. In this case, the two categories are regular coke and diet coke. Unlike continuous variables which represent measurable quantities, categorical variables represent discrete and distinct categories.
Therefore, when it comes to the question about the type of coke, which is only regular coke or diet coke, we choose only one option that best describes this scenario. The correct option is C) Categorical, because it refers specifically to the type of coke which is a qualitative attribute. Options A) Dependent and B) Independent describe the roles variables may play in a study, and D) Continuous refers to variables that can take on an infinite number of values within a given range.