What is statistics?

 •a branch of mathematics that provides techniques to analyze whether or not your data is significant (meaningful)

•Statistical applications are based on probability statements

•Nothing is “proved” with statistics

•Statistics are reported

•Statistics report the probability that similar results would occur if you repeated the experiment

Statistics deals with numbers
 •Need to know nature of numbers collected 
–Continuous variables: type of numbers associated with measuring or weighing; any value in a continuous interval of measurement. 

•Examples: Weight of students, height of plants, time to flowering 

–Discrete variables: type of numbers that are counted or categorical 

•Examples:Numbers of boys, girls, insects, plants

  •Which type of numbers (discrete or continuous?) 

–Numbers of persons preferring Brand X in 5 different towns 

–The weights of high school seniors 

–The lengths of oak leaves 

–The number of seeds germinating 

–35 tall and 12 dwarf pea plants 

–Answers: all are discrete except the 2nd and 3rd examples are continuous.