Estimates standard deviation based on a sample. The standard deviation is a measure of how widely values are dispersed from the average value (the mean).
Syntax
STDEV(number1,number2,...)
Number1,number2,... are 1 to 30 number arguments corresponding to a sample of a population.
Remarks
- Logical values such as TRUE and FALSE and text are ignored. If logical values and text must not be ignored, use the STDEVA function.
- STDEV assumes that its arguments are a sample of the population. If your data represents the entire population, then compute the standard deviation using STDEVP.
- The standard deviation is calculated using the "nonbiased" or "n-1" method.
- STDEV uses the following formula:
Example
Suppose 10 tools stamped from the same machine during a production run are collected as a random sample and measured for breaking strength.
| St1 | St2 | St3 | St4 | St5 | St6 | St7 | St8 | St9 | St10 | Formula | Description (Result) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1345 | 1301 | 1368 | 1322 | 1310 | 1370 | 1318 | 1350 | 1303 | 1299 | =STDEV([St1], [St2], [St3], [St4], [St5], [St6], [St7], [St8], [St9], [St10]) | Standard deviation of breaking strength (27.46391572) |