Easy Statistics: Calculating Variance and Standard Deviation

Statistics has always been a different subject. Some people do not like it because math is involved. Some people do not like it because it is not traditional math like algebra. It has been my experience that statistics is easier by creating step-by-step instructions. And that is how this publication has been designed. In this publication I provide steps to calculating both the population standard deviation and the sample standard deviation. Although most calculators (and spreadsheets) have a function to calculate these, it is still often necessary, at least in education, to be able to calculate them manually. While I do cover the formulas in the first section, in reality all that is necessary is to follow the steps as given later in this publication.

The student will need to be able to perform mathematical functions such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, squaring, and square roots. If a student can do these things and follow directions, then everything should be fine. Through the sections I will demonstrate two examples, one easy and the other a little more difficult. At the end of this document I provide ten exercise sets on which the student can practice. The answers are also included.

This document is not designed to be a comprehensive curriculum but rather a component in a larger curriculum such as statistics, applied math, business math, analytics, or even the physical or life science.