A population consists of all the weights of all defensive tackles on a university's football team. They are Johnson,204 pounds; Patrick,215 pounds; Junior,207 pounds; Kendron,212 pounds; Nicko,214 pounds; and Cochran,208 pounds. What is the population standard deviation (in pounds)?
A)About 4
B)About 16
C)About 100
D)About 40

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The population standard deviation is calculated using the formula for the standard deviation of a population. First, find the mean (average) weight: (204 + 215 + 207 + 212 + 214 + 208) / 6 = 1260 / 6 = 210. Then, calculate the squared differences from the mean, sum them, divide by the number of observations, and take the square root. The calculations give a standard deviation close to 4 pounds, not 16, 100, or 40.

A Population Consists of All the Weights of All Defensive