SOLUTION: When calculating standard deviation, why do we use (n-1) for sample datasets, but just (N) for population datasets?
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Question 125783: When calculating standard deviation, why do we use (n-1) for sample datasets, but just (N) for population datasets? Answer by stanbon(75887) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website! Using N as the denominator gives a smaller variation
of the normal spread of the data; we can have confidence
in this smaller spread because the data is the entire
population being considered.
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Using n-1 as the denominator gives a larger variation
of the normal spread of the data; we are less confident
of the actual spread of the population data because
we have only a sample.
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Cheers,
Stan H.
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