Question
If and , then the standard deviation of the 9 items is
Options
Solution
Here's a clear, educational, and well-structured solution to the problem:
Key Concepts and Formulas
-
Standard Deviation (S.D.): The standard deviation () measures the dispersion of a dataset around its mean. It is the square root of the variance. For a set of observations , the variance () is given by: where is the mean of the data. The standard deviation is .
-
Alternative Formula for Variance: This formula is often more convenient for calculations, especially when sums of and are known or easily derivable: This can be concisely written as , where is the mean of the squares of the observations.
-
Property of Standard Deviation under Change of Origin (Translation): If a constant value '' is added to or subtracted from each observation in a dataset, the standard deviation of the dataset remains unchanged. That is, if a new variable (or ) is defined, then the standard deviation of is the same as the standard deviation of . This property is fundamental for simplifying this problem.
Step-by-Step Solution
1. Understand the Goal and Analyze Given Information
- We are given information about a dataset of items, .
- We have two sums:
- Our objective is to calculate the standard deviation of the original items .
2. Simplify the Problem using a Change of Origin
- What we are doing: We introduce a new variable by transforming the original variable .
- Why this step: Both given sums involve the term . This structure directly points to using the property of standard deviation under a change of origin. By defining , we simplify the expressions we need to work with, making calculations much more manageable. Moreover, the standard deviation of will be identical to that of .
- Let .
- Now, we can rewrite the given sums in terms of :
3. Calculate the Mean of the Transformed Data ()
- What we are doing: We calculate the arithmetic mean of the new dataset .
- Why this step: The mean of () is a necessary component for calculating the variance of using the alternative formula.
- The mean of is given by:
- Substitute the values: and :
4. Calculate the Variance of the Transformed Data ()
- What we are doing: We calculate the variance of the transformed dataset .
- Why this step: The standard deviation is the square root of the variance. We use the alternative formula for variance because we have readily available values for and .
- Using the alternative formula for variance:
- Substitute the known values: , , and :
5. Calculate the Standard Deviation of the Transformed Data ()
- What we are doing: We find the standard deviation of by taking the square root of its variance.
- Why this step: This brings us closer to our final answer, as S.D. is directly related to S.D..
- The standard deviation of is: (Note: Standard deviation is always non-negative).
6. Relate Back to the Original Data ()
- What we are doing: We apply the property of standard deviation under a change of origin to find the standard deviation of .
- Why this step: This is the final and crucial step that connects our calculations for the transformed data back to the original question about . It avoids the need to calculate and directly, which would be more cumbersome.
- Since , and standard deviation is invariant under a change of origin (addition or subtraction of a constant), the standard deviation of is the same as the standard deviation of .
- Therefore,
Common Mistakes & Tips
- Misapplying Variance Formulas: Ensure you use the correct formula for variance. A common error is using instead of .
- Forgetting the Square Root: Remember that variance is , and standard deviation is . Don't forget to take the square root at the end.
- Ignoring the Change of Origin Property: This property is a huge time-saver. Trying to calculate and directly from the given sums would be much more involved and prone to errors.
- Misinterpreting "n-1" vs "n": For JEE, unless specified as "sample standard deviation", always use 'n' in the denominator for variance and standard deviation calculations.
Summary
This problem effectively tests the understanding of standard deviation calculation and, more importantly, the property of standard deviation remaining invariant under a change of origin. By introducing a transformed variable , we simplified the given sums to and . We then calculated the mean of as . Using the alternative variance formula, , we found . Taking the square root, S.D.. Due to the change of origin property, S.D. is equal to S.D..
The final answer is , which corresponds to option (D).