The sample variance can be changed so that it becomes an unbiased estimator of the population by changing the calculation so that
A)N is in the denominator of the formulA.
B)the mean square is in the numerator of the formula.
C)a correction of N-1 is in the denominator of the formula.
D)a correction of SS-1 is in the numerator of the formula.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The sample variance can be changed so that it becomes an unbiased estimator of the population by using a correction of N-1 in the denominator of the formula. This is known as Bessel's correction. The correction accounts for the fact that the sample variance formula takes into account one less degree of freedom than the total number of observations in the sample. By dividing by N-1 instead of N, we adjust for this and produce an unbiased estimator of the population.

The Sample Variance Can Be Changed So That It Becomes