1

Standard Deviation Formulas

Deviation just means how far from the normal
Standard Deviation
The Standard Deviation is a measure of how spread out numbers are.
You might like to read this simpler page on Standard Deviation first.
But here we explain the formulas.
The symbol for Standard Deviation is (the Greek letter sigma.
This is the formula for Standard Deviation!
Say what? "lease explain#
$%. &et us explain it step by step.
Say you have a bun'h of numbers like () *) +) ,) -*) .) /) --.
To 'al'ulate the standard deviation of those numbers!
-. 0ork out the 1ean (the simple average of the numbers
*. Then for ea'h number! subtra't the 1ean and s2uare the result
3. Then work out the mean of those s2uared differen'es.
,. Take the s2uare root of that and you are done#
The formula a'tually says all of that) and 4 will show you how.
2
The Formula Explained
5irst) let us have some example values to work on!
Example: Sam has 20 Rose Bushes
The number of flowers on ea'h bush is
() *) +) ,) -*) .) /) --) () 3) .) ,) -*) +) ,) -6) () 7) () ,
0ork out the Standard Deviation.

Step ! "or# out the mean
4n the formula above 8 (the greek letter 9mu9 is the mean of all our values ...
Example: $% 2% &% '% !2% (% )% !!% $% *% (% '% !2% &% '% !0% $% +% $% '
The mean is!
((:*:+:,:-*:.:/:--:(:3:.:,:-*:+:,:-6:(:7:(:, ; *6 < -,6;*6 < .
So!
8 < .

Step 2 Then for ea,h number: subtra,t the -ean and s.uare the result
This is the part of the formula that says!
3
So what is xi = They are the individual x values () *) +) ,) -*) .) et'...
4n other words x1 < () x2 < *) x3 < +) et'.
So it says 9for ea'h value) subtra't the mean and s2uare the result9) like this
Example /,ontinued0:
(( > .
*
< (*
*
< ,
(* > .
*
< (>+
*
< *+
(+ > .
*
< (>*
*
< ,
(, > .
*
< (>3
*
< (
(-* > .
*
< (+
*
< *+
(. > .
*
< (6
*
< 6
(/ > .
*
< (-
*
< -
... et' ...

Step * Then wor# out the mean of those s.uared differen,es
To work out the mean) add up all the values then divide b1 how man1.
5irst add up all the values from the previous step.
But how do we say 9add them all up9 in mathemati's= 0e use 9Sigma9! ?
The handy Sigma @otation says to sum up as many terms as we want!
Sigma @otation
0e want to add up all the values from - to @) where @<*6 in our 'ase be'ause there are *6
values!
4
Example /,ontinued0:
0hi'h means! Sum all values from (x->.
*
to (x@>.
*

0e already 'al'ulated (x->.
*
<, et'. in the previous step) so Aust sum them up!
< ,:*+:,:(:*+:6:-:-7:,:-7:6:(:*+:,:(:(:,:-:,:( < !()
But that isnBt the mean yet) we need to divide b1 how man1) whi'h is simply done by
multiplying by 9-;@9!
Example /,ontinued0:
1ean of s2uared differen'es < (-;*6 C -./ < )$
(@ote! this value is 'alled the 9Darian'e9

Step ' Ta#e the s.uare root of that and 1ou are done2
Example /,on,luded0:
E < F(/.( < 2$)*
D$@G#

5
Sample Standard Deviation
But wait) there is more ...
... sometimes your data is only a sample of the whole population.
Example: Sam has 20 rose bushes% but what if Sam onl1 ,ounted the flowers on +
of them3
The 9population9 is all *6 rose bushes)
and the 9sample9 is the 7 he 'ounted. &et us say they were!
() *) +) ,) -*) .
0e 'an still estimate the Standard Deviation.
But when you use the sample as an estimate of the whole population) the Standard Deviation
formula 'hanges to this!
The formula for Sample Standard Deviation!
The important 'hange is 456!4 instead of 454 (whi'h is 'alled 9BesselBs 'orre'tion9.
The symbols also 'hange to refle't that we are working on a sample instead of the whole
population!
The mean is now x (for sample mean instead of 7 (the population mean)
Hnd the answer is s (for Sample Standard Deviation instead of .
But that does not affe't the 'al'ulations. 8nl1 56! instead of 5 ,han9es the ,al,ulations
6

$%) let us now 'al'ulate the Sample Standard Deviation!
Step ! "or# out the mean
Example 2: :sin9 sampled values $% 2% &% '% !2% (
The mean is ((:*:+:,:-*:. ; 7 < 3(;7 < 7.+
So!
x < 7.+

Step 2 Then for ea,h number: subtra,t the -ean and s.uare the result
Example 2 /,ontinued0:
(( > 7.+
*
< (*.+
*
< 7.*+
(* > 7.+
*
< (>,.+
*
< *6.*+
(+ > 7.+
*
< (>-.+
*
< *.*+
(, > 7.+
*
< (>*.+
*
< 7.*+
(-* > 7.+
*
< (+.+
*
< 36.*+
(. > 7.+
*
< (6.+
*
< 6.*+

Step * Then wor# out the mean of those s.uared differen,es
To work out the mean) add up all the values then divide b1 how man1.
But hang on ... we are 'al'ulating the Sample Standard Deviation) so instead of dividing by how
many (@) we will divide by 56!
Example 2 /,ontinued0:
Sum < 7.*+ : *6.*+ : *.*+ : 7.*+ : 36.*+ : 6.*+ < +&&
7
Divide by 56!! (-;+ C 7+.+ < !*!
(This value is 'alled the 9Sample Darian'e9

Step ' Ta#e the s.uare root of that and 1ou are done2
Example 2 /,on,luded0:
s < F(-3.- < *+!$
D$@G#
;omparin9
0hen we used the whole population we got! 1ean < () Standard Deviation < 2$)*
0hen we used the sample we got! Sample 1ean < +&) Sample Standard Deviation < *+!$
$ur Sample 1ean was wrong by .I) and our Sample Standard Deviation was wrong by *-I.
"h1 "ould "e Ta#e a Sample3
1ostly be'ause it is easier and 'heaper.
4magine you want to know what the whole 'ountry thinks ... you 'anBt ask millions of people) so
instead you ask maybe -)666 people.
There is a ni'e 2uote (supposed to be by Samuel Johnson!
"You don't have to eat the whole ox to know that the meat is tough."
This is the essential idea of sampling. To find out information about the population (su'h as
mean and standard deviation) we do not need to look at all members of the populationK we only
need a sample.
But when we take a sample) we lose some a''ura'y.

8
Summar1
The <opulation Standard Deviation!
The Sample Standard Deviation!