The actual value of the standard deviation can be zero or a positive number, why value can never be a negative number?

Big Ideas Math A Bridge To Success Algebra 1: Student Edition 2015
1st Edition
ISBN:9781680331141
Author:HOUGHTON MIFFLIN HARCOURT
Publisher:HOUGHTON MIFFLIN HARCOURT
Chapter11: Data Analysis And Displays
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 6CR
icon
Related questions
icon
Concept explainers
Topic Video
Question

The actual value of the standard deviation can be zero or a positive number, why value can never be a negative number?

Expert Solution
Step 1

Measures of Dispersion: The word dispersion is used to denote the degree of heterogeneity in the data. It is an important characteristic indicating the extent to which observations vary among themselves. The dispersion of a given set of observations will be zero, only when all of them are equal. The wider the discrepancy from one observation to another, the larger will be the dispersion.

A measure of dispersion is designed to state numerically the extent to which individual observations vary on the average. There are several measures of dispersion like range, quartile deviation, mean deviation, standard deviation or variance, coefficient of variation etc.

steps

Step by step

Solved in 2 steps with 1 images

Blurred answer
Knowledge Booster
Centre, Spread, and Shape of a Distribution
Learn more about
Need a deep-dive on the concept behind this application? Look no further. Learn more about this topic, statistics and related others by exploring similar questions and additional content below.
Recommended textbooks for you
Big Ideas Math A Bridge To Success Algebra 1: Stu…
Big Ideas Math A Bridge To Success Algebra 1: Stu…
Algebra
ISBN:
9781680331141
Author:
HOUGHTON MIFFLIN HARCOURT
Publisher:
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Glencoe Algebra 1, Student Edition, 9780079039897…
Glencoe Algebra 1, Student Edition, 9780079039897…
Algebra
ISBN:
9780079039897
Author:
Carter
Publisher:
McGraw Hill
Holt Mcdougal Larson Pre-algebra: Student Edition…
Holt Mcdougal Larson Pre-algebra: Student Edition…
Algebra
ISBN:
9780547587776
Author:
HOLT MCDOUGAL
Publisher:
HOLT MCDOUGAL
College Algebra (MindTap Course List)
College Algebra (MindTap Course List)
Algebra
ISBN:
9781305652231
Author:
R. David Gustafson, Jeff Hughes
Publisher:
Cengage Learning