Introduction to Descriptive Statistics
Ever wonder how scientists and researchers make sense of large amounts of information? It all starts with understanding statistics - the science of collecting and analyzing data. To work with statistics, you need to know the right terminology.
When studying a group, statisticians call the entire group a population, while a sample is just a subset of that population. When data is collected from everyone in a population, it's called a census, but gathering information from just a sample is called a survey.
Data can be categorized in two main ways: discrete and continuous. Discrete data involves exact counting values (like the number of students in a class), while continuous data involves measurements within ranges (like height or weight).
Quick Tip: Remember that discrete data can be counted (like people in a car), while continuous data is measured (like your height). This distinction will help you decide how to organize and display your data!
