document.write( "Question 255695: Can the sample variance ever be a negative number? If so, for what types of data? If not, why not? Can the sample variance ever be zero? If so, for what types of data? If not, why not? \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #187991 by Edwin McCravy(20056)\"\" \"About 
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Can the sample variance ever be a negative number?
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document.write( "No\r\n" );
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\n" ); document.write( "If not, why not?
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document.write( "Because it is the sum of squares of numbers divided by 1 less than the\r\n" );
document.write( "number of numbers.  Squares are never negative, so you could never have\r\n" );
document.write( "the sum of squares being negative, and then when you divided by 1 less\r\n" );
document.write( "than the number of numbers you could never get a negative number. \r\n" );
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\n" ); document.write( "Can the sample variance ever be zero?
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document.write( "Yes\r\n" );
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\n" ); document.write( "If so, for what types of data?
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document.write( "When all the numbers in the data set are the same, (which\r\n" );
document.write( "means they do not vary at all, so it would be logical that\r\n" );
document.write( "their variance would be zero).\r\n" );
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document.write( "Edwin
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