Show All

Hide All

Estimates variance based on a sample.

Syntax

VARA(value1,value2,...)

Value1, value2, ...   are 1 to 30 value arguments corresponding to a sample of a population.

Remarks

• VARA assumes that its arguments are a sample of the population. If your data represents the entire population, you must compute the variance by using VARPA.
• Arguments can be the following: numbers; names, arrays, or references that contain numbers; text representations of numbers; or logical values, such as TRUE and FALSE, in a reference.
• Logical values and text representations of numbers that you type directly into the list of arguments are counted.
• Arguments that contain TRUE evaluate as 1; arguments that contain text or FALSE evaluate as 0 (zero).
• If an argument is an array or reference, only values in that array or reference are used. Empty cells and text values in the array or reference are ignored.
• Arguments that are error values or text that cannot be translated into numbers cause errors.
• If you do not want to include logical values and text representations of numbers in a reference as part of the calculation, use the VAR function.
• VARA uses the following formula:

  

  where x is the sample mean AVERAGE(value1,value2,…) and n is the sample size.

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 example may be easier to understand if you copy it to a blank worksheet.