5 Steps To Use Microsoft Excel To Solve Standard Deviation Problems


Problems In statistics, the
standard deviation (SD, also
represented by the Greek letter
sigma σ or s) is a measure that is used to quantify the amount
of variation or dispersion of a
set of data values. A low
standard deviation indicates
that the data points […]
tend to be close to
the mean (also called the expected value) of the set,
while a high standard
deviation indicates that the
data points are spread out
over a wider range of
values. 1. Data Preparation:
Prepare your data
appropriately. The data
used for standard deviation
is usually just in two rows,
of the table. You have to arrange data properly if you
want Microsoft Excel to
solve properly for you. This
can either be prepared on
Microsoft word or on a
sheet of paper. 2. Keep the data list to a single variable. Standard deviation is generally used
on a small sample of data
that needs to be graphed or
an entire population. Excel has different
formulas for figuring out
the standard deviation
of an entire population
and the standard
deviation of the sample of a population. Keep
this in mind when you
choose your formula
later on. 3. Make a chart of your data. In most cases, you will start in box A1. Enter headings at the
top of the columns. Enter the name or date
that identifies each
occurrence on the left of
each row. Enter the
corresponding data on
the right. Save this chart on Microsoft
Excel. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: CLICK BELOW TO APPLY FOR A SCHOLARSHIP NOW!!! NUS PROMO PACK 4. Place your cursor in the box below the last number. You can also place the
standard deviation
number in any other
empty cell in the Excel
spreadsheet. Excel may
automatically figure out your data range if you
put it underneath a list
of numbers. Enter an equals sign. Remember that the
formula should be
entered without spaces. Type in “STDEV.” This is the Excel syntax for
standard deviation.
When you use this
abbreviation for a data
range, Excel will figure
out mean and standard deviation automatically. Excel formulas differ
depending upon the
version of Excel you are
using. Although STDEV is
fairly standard, you may
need to use STDEVA or STDEVAP in its place. Choose either STDEV.P or
STDEV.S to signify
whether you are using
an entire population or a
sample population. 5. Insert your data range next. A data range is a series of numbers in a
certain column or row. In Excel, data ranges are
listed in the following
manner: (C2:C15). Your
entire formula would be
“=STDEV(C2:C15).” Press “Enter.” Your standard deviation for
your sample should
appear in the box. You can also use the
Excel formula wizard to
choose the standard
deviation formula. Click
on “Insert” in the
Formula bar. Then, select “Statistical” and select
“STDEV.” Type in your
data range in the box
that pops up. Press “Ok”
or “Enter” to complete
your formula. It should be easy, if you
follow the steps listed
above closely.  If you have
any questions, drop your
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