Standard deviation is defined as the square root of the mean of the squared…
MATHEMATICS · Multi-part · A Level · Mathematics · Data presentation and interpretation · Data presentation and interpretation
Problem
Standard deviation is defined as the square root of the mean of the squared deviations from the arithmetic mean.
(i) Explain, with two clear reasons, why squaring the deviations is preferred over taking their absolute values when measuring dispersion.
(ii) Give one practical situation where using standard deviation provides more useful information than merely quoting the arithmetic mean.