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Topic: Collecting Data (Higher - Unit 1)

Specification References: S2.1

S2.1 Types of data: qualitative, discrete, continuous. Use of grouped and ungrouped data.


Candidates should be able to

  • decide whether data is qualitative, discrete or continuous and use this decision to make sound judgements in choosing suitable diagrams for the data
  • understand the difference between grouped and ungrouped data
  • understand the advantages of grouping data and the drawbacks
  • distinguish between data that is primary and secondary

Notes

Questions may explicitly test knowledge of these words but it is the recognition of the nature of the data that will in many cases be important. For example, in answering the question ‘Draw a suitable diagram for these data’.

Examples

  1. Which of these types of data are continuous?
    Circle your answers.

    Lengths           Frequencies       Weights         Times

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  1. The two frequency tables show the same data.

    Table A
    Data Frequency
    10  
    11  
    12  
    13  
    14  
    15  
    16  
    17  
    18  
    19  
    		   Table B
    Data Frequency
    10 - 12  
    13 - 14  
    15 - 16  
    17 - 19  
    1. Give one advantage of Table A over Table B.
    2. Give one advantage of Table B over Table A.
  2. Look at this frequency table.
    Write down two problems with the labelling.

    Time, t (minutes) Frequency
    10 < t < 20 9
    20 < t < 30 27
    30 < t < 40 42
    40 < t < 50 15
    60 < t < 70 8