Calculates the variance based on a sample. Learn more
In Google Sheets, the VAR function is used to calculate the variance of a sample or a population based on a set of values. The syntax of the VAR function is as follows:
VAR(value1, [value2, …])
Here's a breakdown of the components:
value1, value2, and so on: These are the individual values or cell references representing the dataset for which you want to calculate the variance.
You can include multiple values or cell references separated by commas.
The VAR function calculates the variance of the dataset using the following formula:
Variance = Sum of Squares of Differences / Number of Data Points
The variance measures the dispersion or spread of data points around the average. It provides an indication of how much the individual values in the dataset deviate from the mean.
The higher the variance, the more the data points are spread out from the mean.
It's important to note that if you want to calculate the variance of an entire population, you should use the VAR.P function.
If you want to calculate the variance of a sample, you should use the VAR.S function. The VAR function in Google Sheets assumes a sample variance calculation by default.