Math Problem Statement
Example 5
Consider the two data sets of readings in one of your laboratory activities, Which of the following sets has a larger standard deviation?
Set A. 9 g. 11 g. 5 g. 7 g and 13 g
Set B 11 g. 10 g 19 g. 19 g, and 11 g
Solution
To determine which set has a larger standard deviation, we need to calculate the standard deviation for both Set A and Set B. Standard deviation is a measure of the amount of variation or dispersion in a set of values.
Steps to Calculate Standard Deviation:
- Find the mean (average) of each set.
- Calculate the squared differences from the mean for each data point.
- Find the mean of these squared differences (this is called the variance).
- Take the square root of the variance to obtain the standard deviation.
Let's compute these step by step.
Set A: 9 g, 11 g, 5 g, 7 g, 13 g
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Mean of Set A:
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Squared differences from the mean:
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Variance of Set A:
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Standard Deviation of Set A:
Set B: 11 g, 10 g, 19 g, 19 g, 11 g
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Mean of Set B:
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Squared differences from the mean:
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Variance of Set B:
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Standard Deviation of Set B:
Conclusion:
Set B has a larger standard deviation (approximately 4.10 g) compared to Set A (approximately 2.83 g). This indicates that the values in Set B are more spread out from the mean than the values in Set A.
Would you like more details or have any questions?
Related Questions:
- How is variance related to standard deviation?
- What does a higher standard deviation imply about a data set?
- How can the standard deviation be used in statistical analysis?
- What are some real-world applications of standard deviation?
- How would the standard deviation change if all values in a set are increased by a constant?
- How do outliers affect the standard deviation?
- What is the difference between sample standard deviation and population standard deviation?
- Why is the square root used in calculating standard deviation?
Tip: When comparing the variability of two data sets, the set with the larger standard deviation is more dispersed around the mean.
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Math Problem Analysis
Mathematical Concepts
Statistics
Standard Deviation
Variance
Formulas
Standard Deviation formula
Variance formula
Theorems
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Suitable Grade Level
Grades 10-12