Which of the following sets of data will have the smallest Standard Deviation?

1, 6, 2, 100, 4, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 8, 9

79, 79, 79, 79, 79, 79, 79, 79, 79, 79

3, 33, 103, 4, 122, 1, 0, 245, 7, 99

1 answer

To determine which set of data has the smallest standard deviation, we need to understand that standard deviation measures the amount of variation or dispersion in a set of values. The smaller the standard deviation, the closer the data values tend to cluster around the mean (average).

Let's summarize the provided datasets:

  1. Set 1: 1, 6, 2, 100, 4, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1

    • This set has a wide range of values (from 0 to 100), leading to a high standard deviation.
  2. Set 2: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 8, 9

    • This set consists of consecutive integers with a few repeating values, indicating lower variability.
  3. Set 3: 79, 79, 79, 79, 79, 79, 79, 79, 79, 79

    • All values are the same (79). Therefore, the standard deviation is 0, indicating no variation at all.
  4. Set 4: 3, 33, 103, 4, 122, 1, 0, 245, 7, 99

    • This set has a wide range of values, from 0 to 245, leading to a high standard deviation.

Given this evaluation:

  • Set 3 has all identical numbers (79), resulting in a standard deviation of 0, which is the smallest possible standard deviation.

Therefore, the set of data with the smallest standard deviation is:

79, 79, 79, 79, 79, 79, 79, 79, 79, 79.