Please can someone assist?

[Kashira]

I am doing an assignment question and I am stuck, its asking me something daft........


Consider the following quantities:

(1) The number of pupils in a school
(2) The speed of water in a river as measured by a simple water wheel
(3) The number of rides in a fairground
(4) The temperature of a human being measured with a mercury thermometer (5) The salary of a university lecturer

Which of these are analogue quantities?

Now I take from this that 2 and 4 is analogue as the rest are fixed? and don't change? Although yes they may change if 1 pupil is off school ill, or something, what do you think?

Only answers are these........

A (1), (3) and (5) only
B (1), (2) and (4) only
C (2) and (4) only
D (4) and (5) only

Any Advice greatly appreciated

 

[superdave1984]

Actually I would think only 2 would truly be analog. The others can remain constant indefinately. Water speed will vary continually. 4 possibly if you eliminate the "corpse" variable.

 

[lancec2c30]

You have just gotta hate the "corpse variable"

 

[Apokalipse]

Actually I would think only 2 would truly be analog. The others can remain constant indefinately. Water speed will vary continually. 4 possibly if you eliminate the "corpse" variable.

4 is analogue. Human body temperature, while it does usually stay at an approximately level temperature, it does change. Even if only slightly.
but that's besides the point. Something being analogue means there are an infinite amount of possible values (if you were to arbitrarily assign a numerical value to them) on a scale (be it vector or scalar)
Even if something is constant, it can still be analogue.

Human body temperature will usually vary between approximately 36.7ºC and 37.5ºC

the number of ridges on a cliff. Yes, it can only really be measured in integer numbers. Though it is possible for the number to change. It just usually doesn't happen in one person's lifetime.

Things that aren't analogue are just things that can only be measured in integers (for example, you won't get half of a student showing up to a class)

Things that aren't analogue are not necessarily constant, however. Also, things that are analogue are not necessarily variables.

for example, angles are analogue. A right angle is a constant on this analogue scale. Even if we arbitrarily measure it with numerical values.

 

[luke87]

doesn't it also have to do with to what degree you measure to? I mean, you count students in whole numbers, salary in cents and temperature could literaly be measured to any decimal point given the accuracy of the measuring device.

Just a question though

 

[murdocsvan]

i would have said 2 and 4 because u can measure them to an infinite decimal place. e.g. with 1) u cant have 1.75 pupls with 3) u cant have 2.5 rides and 5) you cant be paid $784.498659856089634