Continuous Probability
Distributions
A continuous variable can take any real number value in
an interval. Hence a continuous probability distribution
includes all the values between start points and end points.
A variable that can take any value between zero and one is a
continuous variable, and there are an infinite number of
possible values in this interval. Examples of variables that
are continuous in theory, though not in practice because of
the limitations of measurement, are weight, height, and
waiting time.
When continuous probability distributions are shown
graphically, area is equivalent to probability. Continuous
probability distributions have means and standard
deviations, but calculus is needed to explore them, and
calculus is beyond the scope of most introductory statistics
courses.
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