Final answer:
The weight of an 85-year-old patient is a continuous variable that can take on any value within a range.
Step-by-step explanation:
The weight of an 85-year-old patient is a continuous variable.
A continuous variable is one that can take on any value within a range, and it can be measured with precision. In the case of the patient's weight, it can be represented by a decimal and can be any value within a range, such as 120.5 pounds or 185.2 pounds.
On the other hand, a discrete variable can only take on specific values within a range. For example, the number of siblings a person has is a discrete variable because it can only be a whole number, such as 0, 1, 2, etc.