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 CaSQ 3A - What’s the Difference Between Numerical and Categorical Data?
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Data
Data can be classified into two different types. |
Categorical
Values or observations that can be sorted into groups or categories.
Examples: Sex, Eye colour and Favourite colour.
Bar charts and pie graphs are used to graph categorical data. | Numerical
Values or observations that can be measured. And these numbers can be placed in ascending or descending order. Examples: Height, Arm Span and Weight.
Scatter plots and line graphs are used to graph numerical data. |
Task:
1. Here are some question topics from CensusAtSchool. Sort them according to whether they will yield categorical or numerical data.
Amount of money earned last week
Arm span
Birth date
Concentration exercise (seconds)
Dominant hand reaction time
Favourite sport
Height
Hours slept per night | Language mostly spoken at home
Foot length
Opinions on environmental conservation
School post code
State/Territory live in
Travel method to school
Travel time to school
Year level |
Categorical
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8. | Numerical
1.
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8. |
2. Why is some data that contain numbers, such as post codes and birth dates considered categorical?
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This page last updated 12 February 2013 | 
