2006-11-30 09:35:58 · 7 answers · asked by Steven 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
First find the mean (average). Then subtract each data number from the mean, and square the difference. Add up all these squared differences and find the average of that sum. Then take the square root of that average. That's the standard deviation.
2006-11-30 09:38:37 · answer #1 · answered by hayharbr 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
robertspr... and hayharbr are both right. Both of these are correct for different situations.
You divide by n when you have the entire population. That's just the measure of spread for the population.
You divide by n-1 when you have a sample, because you're generally using it to estimate the population standard deviation. The n-1 makes it so that, on average, your estimate will be correct.
2006-11-30 18:14:14 · answer #2 · answered by MathGuy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
hayharbr is right except the average is the sum divided by n. For standard deviation you should devide the sum by n-1. The difference is very slight except in very small samples.
2006-11-30 17:45:35 · answer #3 · answered by robertspraguejr 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Are you in my math class because we're doing the same thing right now! haha
2006-11-30 17:37:15 · answer #4 · answered by freakykittygoddess 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you have a scientific calendar, it should tell you in the instructions.
2006-11-30 17:37:31 · answer #5 · answered by cuddycab 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is this formula that you need to write.
2006-11-30 17:37:33 · answer #6 · answered by Webballs 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
wut in the world is that
2006-11-30 17:37:24 · answer #7 · answered by shelby 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋