Standard Deviation: The usual variation from a mean (~average) in a group of numbers.  The average variation from the average.

If you’re thinking there should be a simple way to calculate the standard deviation of  a column in excel you’re right there is!  The formula is:

=STDEV(A1,A2)

or generically:

=STDEV(cell range)

Here are some examples of how STDEV() can be used:

Read the rest of this entry »