The STDEV.S function returns the standard deviation for a sample of values.
This is a useful tool in statistics that helps to understand how the values in a data set are distributed relative to the mean.
Syntax
STDEV.S(value1, [value2, ...])
Argument |
Description |
Permitted values |
|---|---|---|
value1 |
First value or sample range |
Numbers, ranges of cells with numbers |
[value2, ...] |
(optional) Additional values or ranges that need to be included in the sample |
Numbers, ranges of cells with numbers |
Examples of use
Standard deviation for the range
=STDEV.S(A1:A10)
Result: standard deviation of numbers in the range from A1 to A10.
Standard deviation for multiple ranges
=STDEV.S(A1:A10, B1:B10)
Result: standard deviation for numbers in ranges A1:A10 and B1:B10.
The standard deviation for individual numbers
To calculate the standard deviation for specific numbers, such as 5, 10, and 15:
=STDEV.S(5, 10, 15)
Result: 5.
Notes
–The STDEV.S function is used when you have a sample of data rather than the entire population.
–Text values, logical values (TRUE/FALSE), and empty cells are ignored.
–If there are fewer than 2 numerical values in the sample, the function will return the #DIV/0! error.
–Standard deviation helps determine how much the values in a data set vary. The higher the standard deviation, the greater the spread of values.