What is the difference between variance and standard deviation?

Standard deviation = √variance. Both measure spread, but standard deviation is in the same units as the data, making it easier to interpret. Variance is in squared units.

What is population vs sample variance?

Population variance divides by N; sample variance divides by N-1 (Bessel's correction). Use sample variance when your data is a sample from a larger population.

When is variance used?

Variance is used in finance (measuring investment risk/volatility), statistics (ANOVA, regression), quality control, and machine learning (bias-variance tradeoff).

Variance Calculator

The Variance Calculator computes the population variance of a dataset of up to 5 values. Variance measures the average squared deviation from the mean — it quantifies how spread out a set of numbers is. Variance is the square of standard deviation and is fundamental in statistics, finance, and data science.

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How to Use This Calculator

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Enter up to 5 numeric values (enter 0 for unused slots).
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Click Calculate to see the population variance.
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Standard deviation = √variance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Variance = Σ(x - μ)² / N. It measures the average squared distance each value is from the mean. A variance of 0 means all values are identical.

Related Calculators

🧮Standard Deviation Calculator 🧮Average Calculator 🧮Percent Error Calculator