document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=1197875>Question 1197875</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Classify each of the following random variables as discrete or continuous.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "a) Number of times you catch a ball in a basketball game\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "b) Length of time you play in a basketball game\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "c) Length of a car in centimeters\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "d) Number of red cars on the highway\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #831333 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=math_tutor2020><B>math_tutor2020(3817)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=math_tutor2020><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/nopicture.jpg><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=831333\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> <font color=black size=3><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Answers:<ol type=\"a\"><li><font color=red>Discrete</font></li><li><font color=red>Continuous</font></li><li><font color=red>Continuous</font></li><li><font color=red>Discrete</font></li></ol>Explanations:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "(a) The number of times you catch a ball is some nonnegative whole number {0,1,2,3,...} which means we have a discrete set here. <BR>\n" );
document.write( "Between any two values is some finite subset. Eg: {1,2,3} is finite. <BR>\n" );
document.write( "The midpoint of adjacent values is not valid. <BR>\n" );
document.write( "It doesn't make sense to apply the midpoint between say 1 and 2 to get 1.5 catches. \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "(b) In contrast to (a), the midpoint is valid for any two time values.  <BR>\n" );
document.write( "For instance, if a basketball player plays somewhere between 10 and 11 minutes, then s/he could have played for 10.5 minutes.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "This is why we consider time to be a continuous variable. <BR>\n" );
document.write( "Unlike discrete variables, continuous variables have infinitely many values between any two distinct items. \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "(c) Same idea as part (b)\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "(d) Same idea as part (a)<BR>\n" );
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