(Measures of Variability)

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the module, the students should be able to:

 Find the range of ungrouped and grouped data
 Calculate the mean average deviation of ungrouped and grouped data
 Solve for the standard deviation and variance of ungrouped and grouped data

Measures of Variablity

Overview
• In statistics, our goal is to measure the amount of variability for a particular set of scores, a distribution.
• In simple terms, if the scores in a distribution are all the same, then there is no variability.
• If there are small differences between scores, then the variability is small, and if there is large differences between
scores, then the variability is large.
• Definition: VARIABILITY provides a quantitative measures of the degreeto which scores in a distribution are
spread out or clustered together.

• In general, a good measures of variability serves two purposes:

-Variability describes the distribution.
o Specifically, it tells whether the score are clustered together or are spread out over a large distance.
-Variability measures how well an individual score ( or group of scores) represents the entire distribution.
o This aspect of variability is ver important for inferential statistics where relatively small samples are used
to answer questions about populations.
 In this chapter, we consider three different measures of variability:
- Range
- Standaed Deviation
- Variation
 Of these three, the standard deviation (and the related measure of variance) isby far the most important

Range
The range of a set of data values is the difference between the greatest data value and the least data value.
Range indicates statistical dispersion around the central tendency or the degree of spread in the data.
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Formula: � = ���ℎ��� ����� − ������ �����
� = �� − ��

Example:
1. Find the range of the numbers of ounces dispensed by Machine 1 in the table.

Soda dispensed (ounces)

1
The Standard Deviation
The range of a set of data is easy to compute, but it can be deceiving. The range is a measure that depends only on
the two values, and as such, it is very sensitive. A measure of dispersion that is less sensitive to extreme values is the
standard deviation.

Formula: Standard Deviation for sample Standard Deviation for population

∑(�−�)� ∑(�−�)�
�= �−�
�= �

Procedure for Computing a Standard Deviation

1. Determine the mean of the n numbers.
2. For each number, calculate the deviation (difference) between the number and the mean of the numbers.
3. Calculate the square of each deviation and find the sum of these squared deviations.
4. If the data is a population, then divide the sum by n. If the data is a sample, then divide the sum by n-1.
5. Find the square root of the quotient in step 4.

Example 1. The following numbers were obtained by sampling a population.

2, 4, 7, 12, 15
Find the standard deviation of the sample.
Solution: It is easy if you present your computation in a table.

x x-x x-x (x – x)2 (x – x)2

2 2-8 -6 (-6)2 36
4 4-8 -4 (-4)2 16
7 7-8 -1 (-1)2 1
12 12-8 4 42 16
15 15-8 7 72 49
∑x= 40 ∑(x – x)2 = 118

∑(x – x)2 = 36 + 16 + 1 + 16 + 49 =118

Solve for standard deviation

∑(�−�)� 118 118

�= �−�
= 5−1
= 4
= 29.5 = �. ��

� = �. �� ������

2
x – x and (x – x)2
 x–x (x – x)2

∑ �−� � ���
�= = = ��. �� = �. ��
� �

� = �. �� answer

Use of Standard Deviations

A consumer group has tested a sample of 8 size-D batteries from each of the three companies. The result
of the tests is shown in the following table. According to these tests, which company produces batteries for
which the values representing hours of constant use have the smallest standard deviation?
Company Hours of constant use per battery
EverSoBright 6.2, 6.4, 7.1, 5.9, 8.3, 5.3, 7.5, 9.3
Dependable 6.8, 6.2, 7.2, 5.9, 7.0, 7.4, 7.3, 8.2
Beacon 6.1, 6.6, 7.3, 5.7, 7.1, 7.6, 7.1, 8.5

Solve for the mean (x) first.

6.2+6.4+7.1+5.9+8.3+5.3+7.5+9.3 56
EverSoBright: � = 8
= 8
=7

6.8+6.2+7.2+5.9+7.0+7.4+7.3+8.2 56
Dependable:� = 8
= 8 =7
The mean for each sample of batteries is 7hours.

The batteries from EverSoBright have a standard deviation of

12.34
�= = = 1.7629 = 1.328
�−1 8−1

�� = �. ����

The batteries
from Dependable have a standard deviation of

3.62
s= �−1
= 8−1
= 0.5171 = 0.719

�� = �. ����

3
The batteries from Beacon have a standard deviation of

∑(� − �)2 5.38

�� = = = 0.7686 = 0.877
�−1 8−1

�� = �. ����

Basing on the results of the standard deviations (s), the batteries from Dependable have the smallest standard
deviation (s = 0.719h). According to these results, the Dependable company produces the most consistent
batteries concerning life expectancy under constant use.

Assignment:
1
A consumer testing agency has tested the strengths of 3 brands of 8 − ���ℎ rope. The results of the tests are
1
shown in the following table. According to the sample test results, which company produces 8 − ���ℎ rope for
which the breaking point has the smallest standard deviation?
Company 1
Breaking point of 8 − ���ℎ rope in pounds
Trustworthy 122, 141, 151, 114, 108, 149, 125
Brand x 128, 127, 148, 164, 97, 109, 137
NeverSnap 112, 121, 138, 131, 134, 139, 135

The Variance
A statistic known as the variance is also used as a measure of dispersion. The variance for a given set of
data is the square of the standard deviation of the data. The following chart shows the mathematical notations
that are used to denote standard deviations and variances.

Notations for Standard Deviation and Variance

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�2 �� �ℎ� �������� �� �ℎ� ����������
� �� �ℎ� �������� ��������� �� � ������
�2 �� �ℎ� �������� �� � ������

Example: The fuel efficiency, in miles per gallon, of 10 small utility trucks was measured. The results are
recorded in the table below.
Fuel Efficiency (mpg)
22 25 23 27 15 24 24 32 23 22 25 22
Find the mean, sample standard deviation, and variance of these data. Round to the nearest hundredth.

4
 22+25+23+27+15+24+24+32+23+22+25+22 284
Solution: � = 12
= 12
= 23.67
� = ��. �� ���

∑ �−� 2
�=
�−1

168.6668
�=
12−1

� = 15.3333

� = �. ��

�2 = 3.922
�� = ��. �

168.6668
Assignment :
A survey of 10 fast-food restaurants noted that the number of calories in a mid-sized hamburger. The
results are given in the table below.
Calories in a mid-sized hamburger
514 507 502 498 496 506 458 478 463 514

Find the mean, standard deviation, and variance of these data. Round to the nearest hundredth.