29/9/21 18:47 MindTap - Cengage Learning

1. Identifying discrete and continuous random variables

Decide whether each of the following random variables is discrete or continuous.

Discrete or
Continuous?
Experiment Random Variable  
Watch a baseball player bat 1 if he hits a home run, 0 if he does Discrete    
not
Play the game Monopoly Number of times you pass “Go” Continuous    
Take five college courses Number of courses you pass Discrete    
Select a package of chicken at the grocery Weight of the chicken in pounds Discrete    
store
Points: 0.5 / 1

Explanation: Close Explanation

A random variable is a function or rule that assigns a number to each outcome of an experiment.

To classify a random variable X as discrete or continuous, determine whether you can list the values of the random variable. If you can list the

values, the values are countable, and the random variable is discrete. Note that a list of values that has no end (such as 1, 2, 3, . . .) is countable,
and the random variable is discrete.

When the values of the random variable are not countable, but they instead correspond to points along an interval on the number line, the random

variable is continuous.

The hits a home run/does not hit a home run, number of courses passed, and number of times you pass “Go” random variables are discrete,
because their values are countable. The values of the chicken weight random variable are not countable, so this variable is a continuous random

variable.

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