Statisticians have determined that in order for the calculation of sample variance to result in an unbiased estimate,the denominator in the formula must be ________.
A)n - 1
B)n
C)n
D)n + 1

Question

Statisticians have determined that in order for the calculation of sample variance to result in an unbiased estimate,the denominator in the formula must be ________.
A)n - 1 
B)n 
C)n 
D)n + 1

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In order for the calculation of sample variance to result in an unbiased estimate, the denominator in the formula must be n - 1 (as opposed to n or n+1), which is also known as Bessel's correction. This corrects for the fact that the sample variance tends to underestimate the true population variance, and n-1 degrees of freedom is necessary for an unbiased estimate.

Statisticians Have Determined That in Order for the Calculation of Sample