What does a standard deviation measure in a dataset?

Understand the Problem

The question is asking what standard deviation measures in a dataset, which relates to the concept of data variability or dispersion.

More Information

Standard deviation measures how spread out the numbers in a dataset are from the mean. A smaller standard deviation means data points are close to the mean, while a larger standard deviation indicates they are more spread out.

Tips

Confusing standard deviation with concepts like variance or mean is common. Standard deviation specifically measures spread around the mean.

Sources

• Standard Deviation - Explained and Visualized - youtube.com
• Standard Deviation Formula and Uses vs. Variance - Investopedia - investopedia.com