Standard Deviation

• While looking at the earlier measures of dispersion all of them suffer

from one or the other demerit i.e.
• Range –it suffer from a serious drawback considers only 2 values and
neglects all the other values of the series.
• Quartile deviation considers only 50% of the item and ignores the
other 50% of items in the series.
• Mean deviation no doubt an improved measure but ignores negative
signs without any basis.

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 Standard Deviation
• The concept of standard deviation was first introduced by Karl Pearson in
1893.
• Karl Pearson after observing all these things has given us a more scientific
formula for calculating or measuring dispersion. While calculating SD we
take deviations of individual observations from their AM and then each
squares. The sum of the squares is divided by the Total number of
observations. The square root of this sum is knows as standard
deviation.
• The standard deviation is the most useful and the most popular measure of
dispersion.
• It is always calculated from the arithmetic mean, median and mode is not
considered.
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Definition:
• Standard Deviation is the positive square root of the average of squared
deviation taken from arithmetic mean.

• The standard deviation is represented by the Greek letter 𝝈(sigma).

• Formula.

𝑥− 2
• Standard deviation = 𝜎= 𝑥
𝑛
 𝑥− 2
• Standard deviation = 𝜎 = 𝑥 𝑛

𝒙𝟐 − 𝟐𝒙𝒙+ 𝒙𝟐
=
𝒏

𝒙𝟐 𝒙 𝒙𝟐
= − 𝟐𝒙 +
𝒏 𝒏 𝒏

𝒙𝟐 𝐧 𝒙𝟐
= − 𝟐𝒙 𝒙 +
𝒏 𝒏

𝒙𝟐
= − 𝟐𝒙 𝟐 + 𝒙𝟐
𝒏

𝒙𝟐
= − 𝒙𝟐
𝒏

𝑥2 2
• Alternatively 𝜎= − 𝑥𝑛
𝑛
 CALCULATION OF STANDARD DEVIATION-
INDIVIDUAL OBSERVATION

 Two Methods:-

 By taking deviation of the items from the actual mean.

 By taking deviation of the items from an assumed mean.
 CASE-I. When the deviation are taken from the actual mean.

DIRECT METHOD
𝑥𝑖 − 2
Standard deviation = 𝜎= 𝑥 𝑛

𝑑2
or =
𝑛

𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑑 = 𝑥𝑖 − 𝑥
𝑥𝑖=value of the variable of observation,
𝑥 = arithmetic mean
𝑛= total number of observations.
Example : Find the mean respiration rate per minute and its standard deviation when in 4
cases the rate was found to be : 16, 13, 17 and 22.
• Solution:
𝒙 𝟏𝟔+𝟏𝟑+𝟏𝟕+𝟐𝟐 𝟔𝟖
Here Mean = 𝒙 = = = = 𝟏𝟕
𝒏 𝟒 𝟒
𝑥

16 -1 1
13 -4 16
17 0 0
22 5 25

𝒙 = 𝟔𝟖 𝒅𝟐 = 𝟒𝟐

2 42
𝑥𝑖 − 𝑑
Standard deviation = 𝜎= 𝑥 = 2 = = 3.2
4
𝑛 𝑛
 CASE-II. When the deviation are taken from the Assumed mean.

Short-Cut Method
𝑑2 𝑑 2
Standard deviation = 𝜎= −
𝑛 𝑛

𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑑 = 𝑥 − 𝐴, 𝐴 = 𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑑 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛,

𝑛 = 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑏𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛.
 Example: Blood serum cholesterol levels of 10 persons are as under:
240, 260, 290, 245, 255, 288, 272, 263, 277, 251.
calculation standard deviation with the help of assumed mean.

Here,
Value 𝒙 𝒅=𝒙− 𝑨 𝒅𝟐 𝑑 (1)
A=264 Mean= 𝑥 = 𝐴 + = 264 + = 263.9
-24 𝑛 10
240
260 -4
576
16 𝑥 = 263.9 is a fraction.
290 26 676
245 -19 361
𝑑2 𝑑 2
255
288
-9
24
81
576 𝑆. 𝐷 = 𝜎= −
𝑛 𝑛
272 8 64
2689 1 2
263
277
-1
13
1
169
= − 10
10
251 13 169
= 268.9 − 0.01
𝒏 = 𝟏𝟎 d= 1 𝒅𝟐 = 𝟐𝟔𝟖𝟗
= 268.89
= 16.398
CALCULATION OF STANDARD DEVIATION- DISCERETE SERIES OR
GROUPED DATA

Three Methods
a) Actual Mean Method or Direct Method
b)Assumed Mean Method or Short-cut Method
c) Step Deviation Method
 a) Actual Mean Method or Direct Method

• The S.D. for the discrete series is given by the formula.

𝑓𝑥−𝑥 2
𝜎=
𝑛

Where 𝑥 is the arithmetic mean,

𝑥 is the size of items,
𝑓 is the corresponding frequency
and 𝑛 = 𝑓
 b) Assumed Mean Method or Short-cut Method

𝑓𝑑 2 𝑓 2
Standard deviation=𝜎 = − 𝑑
𝑛
𝑛

Where 𝐴 is the assumed mean,

𝑑 = 𝑥 −𝐴
𝑓 is the corresponding frequency
and 𝑛 = 𝑓
 Periods: 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Example: 𝑑1
No. of patients: 2 7 11 15
M ean= 𝑥= 𝐴 +
10 4
𝑛
Solution: = 13+ (−10)
50
Period No. of 𝒅 = 𝒙 − 𝑨, 𝒇𝒅 𝒅𝟐 𝒇𝒅𝟐 = 12.8
s:(x) patients(𝒇) 𝐀 = 𝟏𝟑
𝑥 = 12.8 is a fraction.
10 2 -3 -6 9 18
11 7 -2 -14 4 28 𝑓𝑑 2 2
𝜎= − 𝑓𝑑
𝑛
12 11 -1 -11 1 11 𝑛
13 15 0 0 0 0 92 −10 2
14 10 1 10 1 10 = − 50
50
15 4 2 8 4 16
= 1.84 − 0.04
16 1 3 3 9 9
Total N= 𝑓=50 𝒇𝒅=-10 𝐟𝐝𝟐=92 = 1.80
= 1.342
 c) Step Deviation Method

• We divide the deviation by a common class interval and use the

following formula
2
𝑓𝑑 2
Standard deviation=𝜎 = − 𝑓
𝑑𝑛
×𝑖
𝑛

Where 𝑖 = common class interval,

𝑑 = 𝒙−𝑨
𝒊
,
𝐴 = is assumed mean
𝑓 = f is the respective frequency.
Example: B.P.(mmHg): 102 106 110 114 118 122 126
No. of days: 3 9 25 35 17 10 1
Solution: 𝑓
A. M= 𝑥 = 𝐴 + 𝑑 × 𝑖
𝑁
B.P.(mmHg) No. of days (𝒇) 𝒅= 𝒙 −𝟏𝟏𝟒 𝒇𝒅 𝒇𝒅𝟐 (−12)
𝟒
= 114 + ×4
102 3 -3 -9 27
100
= 114 − 0.48
106 9 -2 -18 36
= 113.52 mm Hg
110 25 -1 -25 25
114 35 0 0 0
𝑓𝑑2 𝑓 2
118 17 1 17 17 𝜎= − 𝑑𝑛
×𝑖
𝑛
2
122 10 2 20 40 = 154
− −12
×4
100 100
126 1 3 3 9
= 154 − −0.12 2 × 4
Total N=100 𝒇𝒅=-12 𝒇𝒅 =154
𝟐
= 154 − 0.0144 × 4
= 1.235× 4
=4.94 mm Hg.
 S.D. of Continues Series can be calculated by any one of the methods discussed

for discrete frequency distribution But Step Deviation Method is mostly used.
2
𝑓𝑑 2
Standard deviation=𝜎 = − 𝑓
𝑑𝑛
×𝑖
𝑛

Where𝑖 = common class interval,

𝑑 = 𝒙−𝑨,
𝒊
𝐴 = is assumed mean
𝑓 = f is the respective frequency.
Example: I.Q. 10-20 20-30 30-40 40-50 50-60 60-70 70-80
No. of students: 5 12 15 20 10 4 2
Solution:
𝒙−𝟒𝟓
I.Q. No. of Mid-value (𝐱) 𝒅= 𝟏𝟎
𝒇𝒅 𝑓𝒅𝟐
students:(𝒇)

10-20 5 15 -3 -15 45
20-30 12 25 -2 -24 48 Standard deviation=𝜎
30-40 15 35 -1 -15 15 𝑓𝑑2 2
=𝑖× − 𝑓
𝑑𝑛
40-50 20 45 0 0 0 𝑛
10
50-60 10 55 1 10
= 10 ×
152
− −30 2
68 68
60-70 4 65 2 8 16
70-80 2 75 3 6 18
= 4 − (−0.12)

Total 𝑓=N=68 𝑓𝑑=-30 𝑓𝒅𝟐=152

It is possible to compute combined mean of two or more than two groups.

Combined Standard Deviation is denoted by 𝝈𝟏𝟐

𝑛 1 𝜎1 2 +𝑛 2 𝜎2 2 +𝑛 1 𝑑1 2 +𝑛 2 𝑑2 2
𝝈𝟏𝟐=
𝑛 1 +𝑛 2

Where𝜎12 =combined standard deviation ,

𝜎1 = 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑑𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑝𝜎2
= 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑑𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑝𝑑1 = 𝑥1 − 𝑥12
𝑑2 = 𝑥 2 − 𝑥 12
The following are some of the particulars of the Boys Girls
distribution of weight of boys and girls in a class: Numbers 100 50
a) Find the standard deviation of the combined data Mean weight 60 kg 45 kg
b) which of the two distributions is more variable Variance(𝜎2) 9 4

𝑛 1 𝜎1 2 +𝑛 2 𝜎2 2 +𝑛 1 𝑑1 2 +𝑛 2 𝑑2 2 100(9)+50(4)+100 5 2 +50 10 2
a) Combined S.D. 𝝈 𝟏𝟐= 𝝈𝟏𝟐 =
𝑛 1 +𝑛 2 100+50
𝑛 1 𝑥 1+𝑛2𝑥 2
combined Mean 𝑥12 = =
900+200+2500+5000
==
8600
= 7.57
𝑛1+𝑛2 150 150
100 60 +50 45
=
100+50
6000+2250
b)
= = 55
150 𝜎 3
𝑛1 = 100, 𝜎12 = 9, 𝑛2 = 50, 𝜎2 2 = 4, C.V (Boys)=
𝑥1
× 100 = 60
× 100 = 5.00
𝑑1 = 𝑥 1 − 𝑥 12 = 60 − 55 = 5
𝑑2 = 𝑥2 − 𝑥12 = 45 − 55 = 10 C.V (Girls)=
𝜎
× 100 =
2
× 100 = 4.44
𝑥2 45
 MERITS OF STANDARD DEVIATION

 Very popular scientific measure of dispersion

 From SD we can calculate Skewness, Correlation etc

 It considers all the items of the series

The squaring of deviations make them positive and the
difficulty about algebraic signs which was expressed in case of
mean deviation is not found here.

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 USES OF STANDARD DEVIATION

 It is widely used in biological studies .

 It is used in fitting a normal curve to a frequency distribution.

 It is most widely used measure of dispersion.

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