STDEV

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. You can also use a single array or a reference to an array instead of arguments separated by commas.

Logical values such as TRUE and FALSE and text are ignored. If logical values and text must not be ignored, use the STDEVA worksheet function.

Remarks

• 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. The sample values (1345, 1301, 1368, 1322, 1310, 1370, 1318, 1350, 1303, 1299) are stored in A2:E3, respectively. STDEV estimates the standard deviation of breaking strengths for all the tools.

STDEV(A2:E3) equals 27.46