Calculating Sample Standard Deviation Step-by-Step

The Organic Chemistry Tutor

This educational video provides a clear, step-by-step tutorial on how to calculate the sample standard deviation for a set of numbers. The instructor uses a digital whiteboard to demonstrate the process manually, breaking down the complex statistical formula into manageable arithmetic steps. The video covers two distinct examples: a smaller data set with five numbers to introduce the concept, and a larger data set with ten numbers to reinforce the process and demonstrate how to handle more data points. The content focuses on key statistical concepts including calculating the arithmetic mean (average), determining sample size (n), calculating the differences between data points and the mean, squaring those differences, and applying the specific formula for sample standard deviation which requires dividing by n-1. The instructor emphasizes the order of operations and provides practical tips for organizing calculations to avoid errors. This resource is highly valuable for high school and introductory college statistics classrooms. It demystifies a formula that often intimidates students by showing the mechanical logic behind it. Teachers can use this video to support flipped classroom models, providing students with a procedural reference for homework, or as a remediation tool for students struggling with the multi-step calculation process of finding measures of spread.